The Girl Of Stone
by SopranoGhostWriter
Summary: Alison Smith is not your average District 2 girl: she hates the Hunger Games and used to be friends with one of the most vicious victors: Cato Hadley. Now, she hates him. But, can he change that when she gets reaped for the used-to-be Quarter Quell and he volunteers? Look through Alison's eyes as she faces 2 conflicts: how will she try to forget Cato AND win the Hunger Games?
1. Preface The Reaping Part 1

**Everyone, just to let you know, this is my first fan fiction story, so I hope you like the first chapter of _The Girl of Stone_! (In this story, Cato won the 74th Hunger Games, and his last name is Hadley) **

"Alison!" My mother bangs her fist on my bedroom door. It's so loud that even though my face is buried in my pillow, I can still hear it. I don't want to respond, though, because today is going to be very frightening. Today is, yet again, another Reaping. Even though District 2 may seem like a ruthless district, it really isn't. In the part of the District where I live, we are the exact opposite. We hate the Hunger Games, and we are as afraid of the Hunger Games as the outskirt districts. "Alison, it's time to get up! We have a big day today!"

"Okay Mom! I'll be out in a minute!" I shout. I reluctantly hop out of bed, slip on a clean t-shirt and clean pair of shorts, and walk over to my door. When I open the wooden door, my little nine year old sister Eileen is waiting for me.

"What have you been doing in there?" she inquires, with a hint of fury in her voice.

"Sleeping, what do you think?" I groan, a look of exasperation crossing my face. "Today is going to be a long day, so I need the extra sleep. Just because you won't get picked this year doesn't mean I won't. I am fourteen. I have to be in the running for the female tribute."

Eileen sighs. "Whatever." She turns around and heads down the short flight of stairs that connects the floor my bedroom is on to the bottom floor. I frown and follow her down to the kitchen, where my mother and father are waiting.

"Oh, hello sweetie!" my mother exclaims. "Dante stopped by earlier to ask you if you wanted to take a walk before the Reaping." First of all, Dante is one of my neighbors, and he is also one of my closest friends. When you tell him something, he will listen. It wouldn't matter what the conversation was about, he just wants to help people. Second of all, he only talks walks with people when he has something he wants to tell you. This cannot be good.

"How long ago did he come?" I sigh, hoping it was just a few minutes ago.

"About five minutes ago." Eileen mutters as she sits down at our small, round table. She doesn't look at me as she starts randomly sketching a picture of our calico cat, Hatter, grasping a small rose in his shiny fangs. Nodding, I saunter over to one of the counters, where a little yellow brush is sitting. Suddenly, big, dark green eyes peek out behind the wall the counter is attached to, and I jump back. A surprised shriek escapes my mouth, and the person chuckles as they step into the kitchen. Finally, I realize that the eyes belong to the one and only 16-year-old Dante. I can hear Eileen and my parents laughing behind me.

"Calm down, Allie! It's only me." Dante laughs, staring at me like I am crazy. A scowl crosses my face.

"And you just had to scare me." I mutter, angrily snatching the brush off the counter. I turn on my heel and stomp over to the table, Dante trailing behind me. Once he catches up to me, he rips the brush out of my hand.

"Let me do that for you." Slowly, I feel Dante run the brush fingers through the back of my hair, and after a few minutes, my hair is completely untangled.

"Thanks, Dante." I mutter. When I turn around, I find a triumphant smirk on his tanned face. Dante looks like he could be from District 4, with his tan and the green eyes and honey-colored hair. It's surprising how he manages to fit in here in District 2. Now that I actually take a moment to stare at him, I can see why all of my friends adore him. Dante is like the Finnick Odair of District 2, except Dante hasn't won the Hunger Games.

"No problem." He exclaims, tossing the brush over his shoulder. As if he was actually trying, it lands back on the counter. Eileen glances up from her drawing and claps for a second before returning to her work. Dante rubs the back of his neck awkwardly before speaking again. "Well, just came by to say hi. See you after the Reaping at the tree?" There is a tree on the outskirts of District 2, close to where we live, that Dante and I always end up meeting at. It's not a very big tree, but big enough for two people and their thoughts.

"Sounds good." I answer, genuinely smiling at him. He nods, and smiles at my parents.

"Goodbye." Before he turns to walk out, he turns to me again. "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor." We both start laughing, and I realize that I am lucky to have Dante as a friend. Finally, he spins around and walks out of the kitchen. Once I hear the front door slam, I know he is gone. Mom waits a few minutes before talking again.

"I made some cereal for you!" I nod and sit down next to Eileen, who is finishing her drawing. Sometimes, Eileen can be really talented. Today is one of those days. Mom brings a bowl full of oats and goat milk over to where I am sitting.

"Guess what I heard, Alison." Eileen sneers.

"What?" I reply as I shove my spoon into my breakfast, pull out a spoonful of the mixture, and lift it into my mouth. What she says next surprises me.

"I heard from Cato's littlest brother that Cato is thinking of volunteering again." Eileen announces. I spit out the spoonful of cereal back into the bowl.

"What? Are victors allowed to do that?" I ask, with a hint of disbelief in my voice. Dad pulls a piece of paper from under the table and places it in front of him to read it.

"I guess so if the victor is still 18 or under. Besides, this year was supposed to be a Quarter Quell anyway, but the Capitol cancelled their plans." my father comments without looking at me. Cato is 17, which means he would still be able to volunteer. I rest my head in my hands.

"Alison, if you get chosen and he volunteers, you'll know that he wants to get one on one time with you." Eileen concludes.

"Yeah, and that's the thing that I don't want. I don't want to talk to him after what happened a couple weeks ago." I tell her. For the rest of the time that I sit at the table, an awkward silence fills the air. Once I am done with my cereal, my mother takes the bowl.

"Okay, it's almost time to go. Everyone put some nice clothes on!" my mom commands. At the exact same moment Mom finishes her sentence, someone knocks on the front door. "Eileen, would you get that please? Alison, go with Eileen. I don't trust her alone." Mom snickers. Eileen groans and heads to the door, with me on her trail. She opens the door to find my best friend Faye and Cato's littlest brother, Derek. Faye is wearing a mint green dress and white flats.

"Hey Faye!" I greet Faye. Faye grins.

"Hey Alison!" she squeaks.

"Come on in. Let's leave Eileen and her little boyfriend to themselves." I joke. Eileen's face turns fiery red. Faye and I start to walk off to my room when someone's voice pipes up.

"Wait a second, Alison!" Cato's brother calls out. I turn around to face him. "Cato told me to tell you good luck." I glance at Faye, whose eyes are wide open.

"Tell him that I said thanks." I reply and with that, Faye and I turn around and head up the stairs to my room.

"Whoa! You and Cato haven't talked for a while and now this?" Faye exclaims.

"I am just as surprised as you are, but we don't have any time to think about it." I answer as I head into the bathroom and pull on the outfit my mom gave me yesterday: a blue and gold flannel shirt and a long, gray skirt. Once I have them on, I walk out and show Faye. Her eyes widen and she sighs out of envy.

"Alison, you look beautiful!" she says. I smile.

"Thanks, Faye! Can you help me do my hair?" I ask. She nods and quickly walks into my bathroom. Faye knows my house well enough that she is able to get the correct things for my hair with ease. While she manages to make my dark blonde hair form a braid, I tell her about what happened with Dante. She is practically in LOVE with him, which is the only reason she listens when I tell her about him.

"There we go!" she announces once she is finished. I look in the cracked mirror in my bathroom to see what Faye has done with my hair. When I see, I am amazed.

"Faye, wow! I'm speechless!" I compliment. Faye grins. I take a minute to admire the braid, because it is that beautiful.

"Alison! Faye! Time to go!" my mother's muffled voice calls from downstairs.

"Okay, Mom!" I shout back at her, then I turn to Faye. "We should get going before Mom has an aneurism."

"Yeah, we should." Faye agrees. Within five minutes, my family, Faye, and I are off to the town square for the Reaping.

**-I would like at least one nice review to continue this story!- SopranoGhostWriter :)**

**~Live, Laugh, Review This Chapter~**


	2. Preface The Reaping Part 2

**Hello! Thanks for reading my first chapter! I am so happy that you guys liked it! I spent a lot of time writing it, so I am happy to know that my work paid off. :) Enjoy Preface part 2 of ****_The Girl Of Stone_****!**

"Welcome to the District 2 Reaping for the 75th Hunger Games!" the District 2 escort Jamie Kitbrew announces gleefully into a small microphone. She is standing on a wooden stage that was just built yesterday. Jamie is one of those escorts that, to put it frankly, are not crazy. She's the kind of escort that every district wants, with her black, white-streaked hair and toned down fashion sense. Right now, though, she doesn't have her signature pink-lipped smile on her face.

"Unfortunately, there are not enough living victors in all of the districts to send to a Quarter Quell, so we are going to have to go on and have regular Hunger Games this year. As always," Jamie explains, "we choose ladies first." When she says that there are not enough living victors, everyone knows that she means District 12 doesn't have another victor to offer up. The only living victor in District 12 is Haymitch Abernathy, and he is the one who makes that district the laughing stock of Panem. While he is always drunk and doesn't care about the helpless tributes that he sends to the Games, the rest of his district works in those filthy coal mines just to have enough to eat for the day. I personally feel bad for the boy and girl that will get selected this year from District 12 for the Hunger Games. Jamie slips her hand into a large glass bowl sitting on her left side. Once she has found a slip, she pulls her hand out of the many slips of paper and opens the paper. She stares at it for a second. "Our female District 2 tribute is..." Jamie pauses for a dramatic effect. I squeeze Faye's hand and she squeezes back. We both close our eyes. "...Alison Smith!" My eyes fly open to find everyone staring at me, even Faye.

"NO!" Eileen screams. She ducks under the rope holding everyone else back and sprints to get to me. She makes it and hugs me so tightly that it's starting to hurt. My dad runs over, puts her in a fireman's hold, and carries her back to the sealed-off area. I gulp and slowly walk to the stairs leading up to the stage with everyone staring at me, and I mean EVERYONE.

"Come on, Alison! Don't be shy!" Jamie urges. My feet drag the rest of my body up the stairs, one step at a time. Once I get to Jamie, I turn to face the crowd. I feel like a robot because I'm not experiencing any emotions. No pain, no shock, no hurt, no fright. It's like I have been shocked out of my soul. All I do is stare out at the crowd with a blank look in my eyes. Jamie glances at me and grins.

"Okay!" Jamie booms into the microphone, breaking the awkward silence that has been swirling around me. "Time to pick the male tribute!" While Jamie shoves her hand into the bowl holding the guy's names, I scan the male crowd, only to catch the unwanted eye of my least favorite person: Cato. He nods at me like he is trying to tell me something. I shoot back a confused look at him. He starts to make his way towards the main walkway between each gender, and I groan silently with annoyance. Meanwhile, I find Dante shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. Jamie pulls out a paper and opens it. "This year's male tribute is... Dante Kevlyn." A gasp threatens to escape my lips as I stare at Dante, who is staring back at me with the same level of surprise I am feeling now. No. No, this can't be happening. No. Dante can't be the male tribute! Not alongside me! _Please, Jamie._ I mentally plead. _Tell us that it's just a joke. Say anyone else's name. Anyone besides Dante._

"I volunteer!" Cato shouts as he stumbles into the walkway. It's as though he knew exactly what I was thinking. He stands up and looks Jamie straight in the eye. "I volunteer as the male tribute!" Everyone else gasps except me, Cato, Eileen, and Derek. Dante's head snaps to Cato so he can see who volunteered for him. Jamie turns around to look at the mayor of District 2.

"Is he allowed to do that?" she whispers to him. The mayor thinks for a minute.

"Since he is a victor and he is still under eighteen, I would think so." the mayor replies. The mayor is a man of very few words. Jamie turns around to find Cato waiting in the walkway.

"Please welcome Cato Hadley as your District 2 male tribute!" Jamie announces. I glare at Cato as he makes his way onto the stage and next to Jamie. He grins at the crowd proudly. "These are your District 2 tributes!" She turns to look at Cato and me. "Shake hands, you two!" Jamie commands happily. Reluctantly, I take Cato's outstretched hand and slightly shake it. While I shake Cato's hand, I get a glimpse of Dante, who is staring at me with sad eyes. Then, Jamie puts her hands on me and Cato's backs and ushers us into our visitation rooms.

A Peacekeeper invades the room and pushes my first guest in: Eileen.

"Alison!" she screeches as she hurls herself into my open arms. She looks up at me and I see tear stains on her face. Even more tears spill out of her eyes and into her brunette hair.

"Eileen, it's okay!" I try to calm her down, but it's not working.

"No, it's not okay! And now that Cato volunteered with you, I just hate that you have to go with the guy that you hate the most to the arena!" Eileen sobs.

"Eileen, it's fine! I am just going to have to deal with it. By the way, where are Mom and Dad?" I wonder.

Eileen sniffles. "They didn't want to see you in so much pain."

"Well, they still should have come!" I retaliate. Eileen slightly nods.

"I know."

"Anyway, you were right. You knew that if Cato volunteered when I got picked, he would want to talk to me. He nodded at me when I caught him staring at me, like he was trying to tell me something." I explain to Eileen. She laughs through her tears.

"Yeah, I'm smart!" she exclaims. I grin at her.

"Yes. Yes, you are." I agree. I hug her until the Peacekeeper that brought Eileen comes back.

"Time's up." He mutters. He pulls my sister, kicking and screaming, out the door and another Peacekeeper literally pushes Faye through the door.

"Hey, watch it!" she yells at him.

"Faye!" I nearly scream out of joy. She turns around and envelopes me in a hug. After a minute, she lets go.

"Alison, I am so sorry that you have to go! I should have volunteered for you, I should have-"

"No, Faye." I interrupt. "You have to stay here and be safe. I am just happy that you will not have to die." I tell her. She frowns.

"Alison, what if you get killed?"

"I will try not to, okay?" I say. Faye looks at the ground and nods. "Look, I will do the best I can, and I want you to make sure my parents don't go crazy and that my sister stays safe."

"Okay, I will. May the odds be EVER in your favor!" Faye blurts out. I grin. We both put the three middle fingers on our left hands on our lips and then press them together.

"Time to go, girl." A Peacekeeper interrupts. Faye looks at the Peacekeeper and looks at the ground.

"I'll try to win for our families." I whisper. She nods to agree. Then, she is swept out the door. I plop down on one of the chairs in the room and glare at the Peacekeeper.

"Do I have any more visitors?" I growl at the Peacekeeper. He looks at me and nods. After he nods, he beckons someone to come over to the doorway. When my next visitor hurries in, I want to cry my heart out. It's Dante. As I stand up, he stares at me with a bewildered look on his face. After a heart-breaking few seconds of just staring at each other, I literally jump over to him and wrap my arms around his stomach. His arms slither around my shoulders, and I bury my face in his shoulder.

"Why did it have to be me, Dante? Six slips out of five thousand... Six slips with my name on them! Why did one of them have to be the one Jamie pulled out of the bowl?" I shout into his shirt.

"Shh, Allie. Shh..." he coos softly. He usually is able to calm me down a little bit when I am upset, but it doesn't work today.

"Why?! I'm probably going to die in the bloodbath! Then, I'll be a disgrace to District 2, and everybody will spit on my grave like they did with Clove!" I scream some more, remembering how Clove's funeral was done. Everyone thought she was the biggest disgrace District 2 could have. People dug a hole big enough for her body, threw her in, and spit on her for a whole hour. It was one of the most horrible days I could ever remember. Dante forcefully grabs my shoulders and pushes me in front of him so that he can look into my eyes.

"Alison, you are not going to die at all! You would never, ever be a disgrace to District 2, because you are going to fight as hard as you can, and you are going to win these horrible Games. Alison, you are stronger than all of the tributes." Dante growls.

"Even Cato?" I whimper. Dante gives me a warm smile and kisses me on the forehead.

"Even Cato." He replies. When he finally lets me go, I wipe away my falling tears.

"Dante, can you do something for me?" I choke out. He nods. "I need you to make sure that Eileen stays alive."

"Okay." He whispers. Suddenly, a Peacekeeper steps in and grabs Dante's arm.

"No!" I yell, bolting towards Dante.

"Meet me at the tree, Allie!" he yells back as the double doors close. I plop down on the small chair with a leather pad on it and rest my head in my hands. When a few minutes pass, a couple of Peacekeepers stomp into the room.

"Time to go, ma'am." One of them mumbles. I stand up and let them guide me to the bullet train waiting in the District 2 station. There, Dante, Faye, my parents, and Eileen are waving goodbye to me, and Cato's whole family is leaving. Great, Cato is already on the train. I slightly smile and I wave back at them, knowing that this is the beginning of the end.

**So... what do you think? Good, bad, TOTALLY AWESOME? Please tell me what you think! -I would now like ****at least two**** reviews to continue the story, please!- **

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

_**"You could live a thousand lifetimes and still not deserve him."**_** -Katniss Everdeen**

**~Live, Laugh, Review This Chapter~**


	3. A New Realization

**Hello! Thanks for reviewing on the last chapter! I am glad to know that you enjoy the story. Sorry that this chapter is so very long, but I didn't know how to fit all of this into two chapters. I hope you like it anyway!**

I take a moment to admire the train. It is really big, even though I don't know if it is on the inside. I step through the entrance to find a huge room with a big couch, a flat-screen TV, and a dining room table literally covered with Capitol food and beverages. _Dante would love this,_ I think to myself. Dante has always been a person who enjoys changes and new places, especially ones that involve food. That thought causes a small, soft laugh to escape my throat. My happiness only lasts for a second, though, when I realize something. Anger consumes me as I slowly shift my gaze back to the table. Sitting in a chair putting his feet up on the table is the one and only Cato, staring at me.

"Hey gorgeous." He smirks. I groan loudly and turn around to sit on a couch next to the TV. I can hear the chair legs scrape against the floor as he pushes himself away from the table and walks around it to stop right behind me. He rests one of his hands on my shoulder to stop me from sitting down. "You can't run away this time, Alison." he hisses in my ear.

"I could, but I think I could get in trouble for how I escape." I whisper back. He lets go of my shoulder.

"Look, I just want to talk." he murmurs. I turn around to give him a glare of warning. At that moment, Jamie and two victors from my district, Brutus and Hallie, enter the train. The trio pauses their cheerful conversation to stare at Cato and me. A long awkward silence fills the air while Cato stares at me with disbelief. Finally, after a minute or so, I push Cato out of the way and head to one of the bedrooms down the hallway. I open one of the doors and I instantly know that this is my room. Once I have crossed through the door, I shut it and sit on the big, navy blue bed. A tear slides down my cheek, and I instantly brush it away. Why did Cato have to volunteer when I was reaped? He could have let what happened a few weeks ago slip away like an unknown dream. I know that I wanted someone to volunteer for Dante, but now, I wish it _was_ him. At least he could bring some sense of security to me. Knocking on the door disturbs my thoughts, and I quickly wipe away the tears that welled up in my eyes.

"Hey gorgeous." A voice calls through the door, and that voice is unmistakable. Is Cato trying to get me to come out?

"Leave me alone!" I yell and throw a fluffy pillow at the door. It hits the door with a thud.

"Can you please just open the door?" he sighs. Sighing, I stand up. Maybe if I answer him, he'll leave me alone.

"Fine." Once I have concealed my sorrow with an annoyed grimace, I stomp over to the door and pull it open. Cato looks down at me with a genuine smile on his face.

"Hi." He whispers.

"Whatever." I try to copy Eileen's voice, but it doesn't work very well. Cato snickers.

"There's the Alison that I know." On the way out, I purposely stomp on his toe and he sighs in pain. "That also is the Alison that I know." Cato chokes out. I grin as I stride past him. It feels good to have some sort of negative effect on him. Once I get to the table, Brutus and Hallie look up from their almost empty plates and beam at me.

"Well, well, well," Brutus exclaims as he stands up and puts his arm around my shoulders. "Look who decided to come out of her room." I politely smile up at him, but he reeks of alcohol. Horrible, terrible alcohol that I have no clue of what it is. I should know, too. I'm not just my father's assistant at the District 2 weapons training facility; my father also hires me to help him sell alcohol to buying vendors. My job is to smell the alcohol and try to identify what kind it is. Brutus must be intoxicated from some Capitol brand of vodka. "Cato, get out here!" Brutus calls down the hall. Cato slowly walks out of the hall and flashes a small, fake smile, and Brutus looks down at me. "Alison, did you hurt him?" he smirks. I stand on my tip-toes and whisper what I did in his ear. When I finish, Brutus almost laughs until he cries. Cato scowls at Brutus and me.

"What's so funny?" Jamie, who is sitting on the nearest couch, inquires.

"Nothing." Brutus grins, his gray eyes telling Jamie to shut up. Jamie rolls her eyes and continues humming to herself.

"Brutus, did you want to talk to the tributes?" Hallie interrupts. Brutus slides his arm off of my shoulders and nods. By the disappointed look on his face, he clearly does not want to talk to us about the Hunger Games right now.

"Okay, both of you sit down." He mutters. I take a seat on the chair in front of Brutus. So far, Brutus is my favorite mentor. Cato inches over to the seat in front of Hallie and plops down. He glances over at me with a twinkle in his blue eyes, but I don't glance back at him. Brutus starts rambling on about how to protect ourselves in the arena, but I am not listening. Every girl in Panem is in love with Cato and thinks that everything about him is perfect. They fail to realize that he isn't perfect, and he never will be. Those girls would feel the same way I feel about him if they got to know his real self. Cato thinks that I like him; he thinks I am playing hard to get. Truth is, I really don't want him. I was blind when I made that first mistake. Now, I can see who he truly is.

Right now, it is about 12:15 a.m., and I can't sleep. I can't get Cato's words out of my head. _You can't run away this time, Alison. _He's right. I can't run away this time. I have been picked, Cato has volunteered, and now we are both on our way to our deaths. Suddenly, I hear a quiet knocking on my door. If it is Brutus, our friendly relationship is getting very strange.

"Who is it?" I ask.

"Hey beautiful." Someone whispers. I groan.

"What do you want?" I hiss.

"I just want to talk." Sighing, I hop out of my bed and pull the door open. Standing in front of the door is Cato, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and sweatpants.

"Are you this desperate to talk to me?" I inquire with a smile.

"Maybe." Cato smirks.

"Can't sleep?"

"No."

"Fine, come in." I move out of the way and he shuffles into my room. "Are you serious..." I mumble. Cato sits on the edge of my bed, and I lean on the wall with my arms crossed over my chest.

"What do you want, Cato?" I request.

"Ummm... I don't remember, Alison. Let me think for a minute." He replies sarcastically and looks up at the ceiling like he is thinking. I am starting to become afraid of what he might say. Cato pushes himself up and strides over to where I am. Once he gets there, he puts his hands on the wall next to my shoulders so that I can't escape and presses his forehead on mine, so that our faces are centimeters apart. He snickers. "Now I remember." Cato whispers, and with that, he shifts his head that his lips are sitting on mine. A confused expression crosses my face, because I am speechless. A few weeks of ignoring him, and now this?! Quickly, I push his shoulders, and he stumbles backwards a little bit.

"Why are you here, Cato?" I growl at him.

"What do you mean?" he mutters, clueless.

"Why did you volunteer?" His eyes burn holes through mine, searching for why I am asking him that. They also search for why I don't want him there. How could he not know why I am so upset with him?

"I volunteered so that your precious little boyfriend didn't have to go." Cato grumbles, glaring at me. Shock and pure fury flushes my face, not embarrassment. How did he know that I didn't want Dante to be reaped? There are so many questions that I am dying to know the answer to, but I don't want to ask him. After all, he is my biggest enemy. "Oh, yes. I saw your reaction when that other kid got reaped. You were so shocked and scared... your face was just clouded with emotions. There was just no way of hiding that."

"Then why didn't you encourage one of the other desperate guys to volunteer?" I shoot back.

"I don't know! I acted on instinct!" Cato seethes.

"What instinct? The instinct of killing?!"

"No, the instinct of protecting you." He admits quietly. My eyes widen, blinking quickly. What did I just hear? That he wants to _protect _me? In the Hunger Games? How idiotic can his logic get? I am too speechless to talk, so he decides to go on. "Now let me ask you a question. Who is that guy that I volunteered for? Who is he to you?"

"That _guy _is Dante, and _he _is my best friend! Dante is someone worth keeping to me, much unlike you!" I yell. Anger flows through my veins and makes my heart beat a little faster.

"So, what you're saying is that I volunteered for no reason at all?" he shrieks.

"Yes." I huff. A shadow of regret crosses his moonlit face. For a small second, I notice how the dark blue tint in his eyes fits perfectly with his blonde hair, and how his jaw line makes him that much more handsome...

What am I thinking? This is my biggest enemy in the Hunger Games that I am thinking about! My mind is betraying me for his looks. Yet, however, my heart starts to feel the same way. My heartbeats start quickening, and I mentally slap myself for feeling like this.

"So, then I guess I will see you later." Cato finally mutters after a minute. I nod and gesture towards the door with my head. Finally, he nods and promenades out the door with an angered expression on his face. I slam the door shut, and a thump rings through the room. Exasperated, I flop onto the bed.

Why is Cato such an arrogant person? He doesn't seem to understand that I don't want to be anywhere near him. If fact, he seems to think the exact opposite. As I lay there motionless on my bed, I try to digest what Cato told me. _No, the instinct to protect you_. There is absolutely no way of forgetting about that now. Not after hearing the truth that he still cares about me. Not after finding out that he doesn't remember the day that killed me inside. Unexpected tears start to swim down my cheeks, and I honestly don't know how to feel. How should I feel? My emotions are all mixed and scattered around to the point where I don't know what they are anymore. Suddenly, I hear muffled shouting from somewhere down the hall. Not wanting to leave the room, I slowly cross the room and quietly put my ear on the door. These voices are unmistakable.

"Shut up, Brutus!" Cato barks.

"Cato, what is going on? Either you tell me what's happening with you, or I'll go ask her!" Brutus threatens. A level of rage bubbles in his voice. His tone of voice actually scares me.

"Why do you care?!" Cato yells back.

"Because I am your mentor! I have to know about your personality and any possible factors that could affect it!" Neither of them speaks for a couple of seconds, and I start to wonder if their conversation is over. Then, I hear Cato's voice again.

"Nothing is going on with me. My personality is the same as it has always been."

"And what is that, exactly?"

"A killer who stops at nothing to win and never gives up."

"I don't believe you." Brutus sighs in disappointment. "You have to make me believe that the only thing you want is to win, and in my opinion, Alison is in the way of that." Footsteps start to walk out of the living room, and I bolt over to my bed. As soon as I have crawled under the large blanket, my door creaks open. Light from the hall floods the room as a figure slowly creeps over to where I am laying.

"I hope all the best for you, but you will soon be in a world of pain. A world of pain that will be caused by Cato. He will win this, and believe it or not, he will kill you. May the odds be ever in your favor. You will definitely need them." Brutus' voice whispers into my ear, and with that, he quietly walks out of the room. _So is that what I am supposed to feel, Brutus?_ I question in my mind. _I am supposed to feel scared, because I am up against a victor? Well, you just wait._ A new feeling of hope washes through me, and I feel more confident than ever. All of my doubt about surviving disappears, and Dante's words come to my mind again.

_"You will never be a disgrace, because you are going to fight as hard as you can, and you are going to win these horrible Games." _Dante is right. I can win these

Games. Brutus might be trying to cause me to doubt, but I am not going to give in that easily. He will have to kill me before I doubt my chances. Nothing and no one can stand in my way now.

**So, is the chapter good, besides the length? Please review! :)**

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

**There are 7 people in this world who look very similar to you. - TRUE FACT**

**~Live, Laugh, Review This Chapter~**


	4. Will You Stay?

**Hello readers! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! Please keep doing that! I love hearing what you have to say, so please send reviews (greatly appreciated!) I am sooooo sorry I haven't updated sooner, but something horrible has struck my mind: WRITER'S BLOCK. Ugh. I hope you like this chapter, even though it's a little short. :)**

I wake to hearing a blood-curdling scream escaping my mouth. Lots of days I wake up like this, but there never seems to be a reason. My eyes pop open, and the feeling of cold sweat silences the scream. I must have had a bad dream, but I can't remember what it is. Finally, a faint memory of the dream enters my mind. The memory is of a silhouette with a blood-tipped sword standing above my dead body, with a cannon booming in the background. My panic mode sets in, because I know who that silhouette was. Cato. Suddenly, the door slams open, and someone rushes over to me. My eyes are blurry from just waking up, so I can't tell who the person is.

"Allie!" a familiar voice shouts. The voice sounds like a guy's voice. Hands harshly grab my arms to try to keep me still, and I start to thrash my arms to try and escape. I really don't want anybody around me, especially whenever my guard is completely up.

"Let go of me!" I scream, but the man doesn't obey. Instead, he pulls me even closer to him until he has embraced me in a hug. Slowly, I start to calm down. My rapid breathing starts to slow down, and I let my eyes shut again.

"Are you okay?" the voice whispers. My head quickly bobs up and down. "What happened?"

"I had a bad dream." I whimper. I can't help but notice that my voice sounds like a five-year-old's, scared and confused.

"It's okay, you're safe." The voice reassures me. A scared tear slides down my cheek, and the person hugging me wipes it away. Finally, I rub my eyes. Everything seems a little clearer. This guy has huge arms, almost like Cato's... WAIT.

"Who are you?" I mumble, even though I already know the answer.

"You should get a little more sleep. There's still another hour before everyone else wakes up."

"No, you didn't answer me. Who are you?" I just want to hear him admit it. Some part of me wants Cato, the "killer who stops at nothing to win" to admit that he is the one who replied to a little girl screaming out of the fright of a nightmare.

"You already know." This answer surprises me a little. I thought he was going to say that that isn't important who it is or something like that.

"Yes, I do know." I agree. He starts to release me, but for some reason, my fingers curl around one of his wrists. _What are you doing?! _my mind yells at my hand. Why does part of me want him to stay?

"What's wrong, Allie?" Cato murmurs. Not saying anything, I just keep my fingers locked on his wrist and sit there. I really don't know what I'm thinking. It's kind of peaceful, though, with him here. I feel... safe. Odd word to use when I'm about to participate in the Hunger Games. Even odder to use when I'm anywhere near the most vicious victor in the history of the Hunger Games. "What's wrong?" he repeats.

"Nothing." I sigh.

"Then why are you holding my wrist like it's your lifeline?" My face flushing, I let go of his wrist. Strangely, he doesn't let me go. "No, it's okay." I can hear the smirk in his voice.

"Shut up." I growl. A laugh leaves his mouth, and I frown in anger. He really needs to stop trying to get me to like him.

"Allie, it's okay to let your guard down for a few minutes. Nothing is going to hurt you." Cato whispers in my ear. Surprisingly, he leans down and lightly kisses my cheek. Why did he come instead of Hallie or Jamie? Maybe they didn't hear me... no, that's not possible. My screaming was way too loud to be unheard. My life is just way too confusing. I don't even know what to make of everything that has happened in these few days. My mind hasn't digested it yet. Then, my mind makes me choke out something that I never would ever want to say to Cato.

"Will you stay?" His speechlessness gives away the fact that he is surprised by my question. I don't even care if I am supposed to hate him, or if I already hate him. Right now, I just want to feel safe before I have to go to the Capitol. Before I have to participate in the used-to-be Quarter Quell with Cato. Before I have to die.

"If you want me to, I will." he answers. His voice sounds serious, like he actually means it. Why wouldn't he be serious about it? He was the one who came to try to make me feel better. He is the one who I feel safe with, besides Dante.

"Okay." I yawn. Finally, I close my eyes. Everything that surrounds me right now makes me feel less upset about being sent to my death. I hate that I think that Cato makes me feel safe. Also, I hate that he wants to be there for me. I hate that he wants to make me feel better about being scared. As I fall asleep, one thought runs throughout my head: I hate Cato Hadley with every bit of my soul, but for some reason, he is starting to change that.

**Ooooooohhh, do I see an Alto romance blossoming? Or is it just me? Tell me what you think is happening! Does Alison have a trick up her sleeve or is she really starting to change her feelings about Cato? PLEASE REVIEW. I have something thrilling in store for my readers, but I would like ****at least TWO ****reviews to show you! Mwahaha... :)**

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

**"****_If there ever comes a day where we can't be together... Keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever._****"- Winnie the Pooh (gotta love him 3)**

**(BTW, THE RANDOM WORDS FROM CH. 3 ARE REAL, BECAUSE I KNOW SOMEONE WHO LOOKS A LOT LIKE ME! weird, right...)**


	5. A Shocking Attempt

**Oh wow, I am soooooooooo sorry for not updating sooner. Everything that has been going on in my life has taken away my time to write, and it's so sad, because I love putting new chapters on here. Also, stupid writer's block has prevented me from creating this. I keep reading the reviews, though, and it makes me want to write more for this, and I am writing everything I can. Sorry if it sucks, but it's the best my mind could process.**

"Where have you been?" Jamie complains as I slightly stumble out to the dining room. I just woke up, so I am not in the best mood. Anything that happened an hour ago is now going to be pushed out of my mind, because I kind of don't want to remember that. It was sort of like an instinct reaction to stay with someone that I feel safe around.

"Sleeping, what do you think?" I groan, really annoyed with Jamie already. I haven't even known Jamie for a day and she is already a person I want to avoid as much as possible. Hallie, who seems to be just noticing me, looks up from her Capitol magazine to acknowledge my presence, then looks back to her magazine.

"You sleep too much." She sighs, disappointed. How can she be disappointed in me if I sleep in a little? I am probably going to die soon, so why shouldn't I do what I want?

"Get used to it." I command. She gives me an angry pout.

"Manners, Alison. Manners." She replies, accusingly pointing her long chrome-colored fingernail at me. Jamie might look different and better, but now I realize she can be just as crazy as Effie Trinket about manners. When I roll my eyes at her, she pushes an already-made plate of food in front of the seat across from hers. She just chose my sitting spot for me.

"Where's Cato?" At the second she finishes her question, Cato strolls out of his room and over to the table. Oh great, he chooses to sit right next to me. "Where have you been?" Jamie repeats.

"Sleeping." He grumbles with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"You do not need to be like that." Hallie defends Jamie. Laughs threaten to escape my mouth, and Cato gives Hallie an 'are you serious' look. I cover my mouth with my fingers so no one will see the smile reluctantly crossing my face.

"What did I do?" Cato spits out quietly, so Hallie can't hear him. A snicker finally makes its way out of my lips, and he glances at me with a smirk. Suddenly, I hear a loud thump behind me and slurred cursing. When I turn around, I find Brutus struggling to push himself off the carpeted floor.

"Brutus!" Hallie exclaims angrily as she rushes over to him. Although she tries to help him to his feet, he starts cursing words that I have never heard of at her. Though they are slurred, I can definitely understand what he says. Glancing at Jamie, I send the 'really? He is our mentor?' look, and she nods with the same level of annoyance that I am feeling. She leans across the table to whisper something, and I lean towards her.

"Hallie is your mentor, not Brutus." She assures me, and a relieved sigh is released from me. At least I won't have to deal with Brutus, and Cato will have to instead. Maybe this won't be so bad.

"Hello, Allie." Brutus greets, walking over to where I am sitting with a crooked-toothed smile on his face. Politely, I smile back as I unnoticeably scoot away from him. I don't want the half-full bottle of whiskey in his hand close to me when he is as drunk as this. When Brutus glances at Cato, a scowl crosses his face. "Cato."

"Hi." Cato growls, seemingly unhappy about their argument last night. Brutus glares back at Cato as he sits next to Jamie. Jamie uncomfortably shifts in her chair.

"Alison, Cato, I only have a few words of advice for you when you get to the Capitol. You have to have special personas that stand out about you. I think Cato had that down pat last year, so I think he can use that." Hallie explains. To prove her point, Cato sends a seductive glance towards me. I roll my eyes at him.

"Alison, you have to be just cocky. I know that might be hard for you, but you just have to do it. That's what District 2 must do to get sponsors." Hallie sighs. My lips stay in a grimace as I start to eat what is on my plate. There is some odd kind of meat that sits on the plate, with a bone sticking out of the side of it, and my head cocks to the side in uncertainty.

"It's called lamb. You should try it." Cato says, pushing a piece of the same meat in his mouth. He must have seen the way I was staring at it. I watch him out of the corner of my eye as I shove a piece of my food into my mouth. His 'I told you so' smirk almost drives me off the edge with anger. He shouldn't be sending me all these mixed signals. Has he forgotten that we are participating in the former Quarter Quell? Has he forgotten that this isn't just a game? Sure, he has won this before, and he most likely will again. I don't need him to make me forgive him for what happened a few years ago, though. It may be a long time to hold a grudge, but when you trust someone, it's hard to get over something that they've done.

"So, Allie, what was your life like in District 2 before this?" Brutus asks, taking a long gulp of the whiskey. Unsure about what he means, I narrow my eyes a little. Brutus seems to see my confusion. "What do you work as, who your friends are, all that wonderful information that I absolutely don't care about."

"Well, there's not really much to tell." I reply flatly, pushing the now empty plate away from me.

"Wonderful! You still have to share whatever it is. Tribute requirements." He says, slamming the empty bottle on the table. I'm surprised that somehow, it manages to stay in one piece.

"I work at the training facility as my father's assistant. My father is the head trainer." I inform him. Brutus's eyes widen a little bit.

"You are... Jonathan Smith's daughter?" Brutus asks, clearly surprised. Nodding, my eyebrows furrow.

"What's so special about that?" Brutus is taken aback by my question. What is special about being the daughter of a weapon trainer? Maybe my father worked alongside Brutus at the training center, or...

"Jonathan Smith was my best student when he was your age. Back before I became a victor, I worked in the same position as your father." Brutus laughs. "Lucky he never got picked for the Games. I taught him everything he knows. He must then have taught you everything." Once I realize that I have to answer that, I nod briefly. Jamie seems to be surprised by these little tidbits of information, and a relived smile crosses her face.

"Oh, Alison! You have one of Brutus's students as a father! You might just have a chance of winning!" she exclaims. Anger starts to bubble up inside of me. Who ever said that I could not win? She needs to realize that even if I am small, I still have a big chance. Even without my inherited talent from my father, I could still win. I decide not to let those thoughts escape my mouth, because if I do, I don't know how Jamie would react. A tension-filled silence clouds the room, and after a minute, I push myself away from the large wooden table and head back to my bedroom.

"Who does she think she is to say that?" is the only words that exit my lips when I shut the door. Taking a deep breath, I grab my outfit to wear in the Captiol (a shiny, gray, strapless dress that reaches to the ground and matching flats) and storm into the bathroom to take my shower. As I take the shower, while being confused over what buttons to press, I think about who the other tributes will be. Maybe they could be victor's children, for all I know. Maybe there could be a few victors that volunteered, like Cato. I have no clue, and I won't have a clue until I get to the chariots tonight.

Once I step out of the shower and change into the actually very comfortable dress and shoes, I silently walk out to the dining room to find only Brutus sitting at the table, picking at his half-full plate.

"Where is Jamie and Hallie?" I ask him. He looks up, just noticing me, and shrugs. Once he looks down at the plate again, I see that my empty plate is still sitting on the table. Having an instinct of being a tidy person, I pick up the plate and take it over to the larger-than-life sink and drop them in. They splash into the bubbly, soapy water.

Suddenly, Brutus notices my presence again, pushes away from the table, and marches over to the sink.

"Where's Cato?" he wonders out loud.

"He's either taking a shower or getting dressed to see our stylists." I answer flatly without looking at him. Brutus looks over my shoulder, forcefully grabs it, and spins me around, pushing my back into the porcelain sink. "Ow! What was that for?" I exclaim. He puts his face close to mine, as if to warn me. My mouth lets out a short deafening scream before Brutus covers my mouth. I hope either Hallie or Jamie heard it, because right now, I am afraid for my life.

"Listen, you seem like a talented little girl. You could have won this; I believe you really could have. That doesn't matter, though. If you had won this, you would have died anyway. When someone wins, they die a little inside. We District 2 victors snap out of our killing machine personality, and we realize that we have killed so many innocent kids. That's why we use this to forget it." He snatches the whiskey bottle off of the nearby table and holds it inches away from my face. I try to scoot away from the bottle, but his grip on my face prevents me from getting away. Brutus is officially scaring me. "I don't want you to have to suffer through that, though. There's no way I can send you back to District 2, but I can help you escape this." He whispers in my ear. Suddenly, I hear some sort of footsteps, even though Brutus seems oblivious to it.

"I don't want you to help me escape this!" I shout through his fingers, but it sounds muffled. Even if it isn't working, I keep trying to get him to let me go. "Please, don't kill me. You would be helping me by letting me die in the Games. I don't want to be killed by my mentor."

"Alison, why do you want to get away? I am trying to help you! If you die now, then you wouldn't have to live through the pain of knowing you killed someone." Somehow, I find the courage to act. I quickly slide my hand out from under the elbow that was pinning it to the sink and manage to punch him in the stomach. Grunting in pain, he sinks to his knees and lets go of me. Finally free, I start to get around him, but he grabs my ankle, and I trip and let out a scared whimper of pain. Then, the unthinkably painful happens. He smashes the whiskey bottle against the back of my head. I scream out in pain, and blood already starts to gush down the back of my head. Pieces of glass become lodged in my head, and the whiskey droplets left on the glass send searing pain shooting through my whole body. A tired feeling starts to take over my mind, and as I start to pass out from the impact and the pain, I hear my name being called by the boy who was to late to save me from this: Cato.

**I hope it was OK, because I want to make my readers happy. :) Please keep reviewing, because that's what keeps me writing this, and it keeps the chapters coming. So please tell me what you think of this chapter! Thanks for not being mad at my late (VERY LATE) update! :D**

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

**"Everyone wants happiness, and no one wants pain, but you can't have a rainbow without a little rain." (I just love that quote)**

**-Soprano Ghost Writer :)**


	6. One Tiny Sign and One Scary Surprise

**I cannot explain how sorry I am for not updating sooner... this chapter was especially hard to write because I wanted a surprise for my loyal readers... First of all, thanks to Abigail25 and WeLiveForTheMoment for reviewing on the chapters so far! It's really good to know that you guys like the story so far! And, to the readers who haven't reviewed yet, please review, so that I can be happy! Please? Enjoy this chapter! :)**

_Crickets start to chirp as I plummet to the ground from a branch about 5 feet from the ground. The impact from the jump doesn't affect me much; it seems more light and soft. As I get to my feet, I start to take in my surroundings. My environment is dimly lit, and one of the only things that I can make out is a flower. A small, rose-like flower that is more white than its intended color, pink. _

_"Welcome to the Multiflora Rose Forest!" Claudius Templesmith's voice booms over a hidden speaker. My eyebrows furrow, trying to remember what a multiflora rose is from training. I think it was some sort of deadly flower, but I can't remember. "If you want to survive this forest, you will have to be light on your feet. These multiflora roses can be harmful." _We are in the Hunger Games! What isn't harmful? _I mentally shout. Scoffing, I start to tip-toe over to the borderline of the rose bushes. When I get there, I reach out to push them out of my way, but I am surprised to find my finger bleeding uncontrollably when I pull it back. _Stupid thorns_, I think to myself. While I wipe the blood from my finger, I back away from the bush to find another way to go. Suddenly, I trip, and my whole body starts stinging. Once I look around, I realize that I tripped into a multiflora rose bush, and I also realize that the stinging is coming from the countless microscopic pricks and cuts caused by the thorns. The problem, though, is that when I try to move, the stinging increases. As I struggle to find a possible beginning of an escape, a thorn vine wraps around my ankle. Then, another wraps around my wrist, and two others wrap around my other wrist and ankle. If the vines are moving by themselves, then that means... Oh, God, help me now. While the thorns dig themselves into my arms and legs, I desperately try to slip myself out of the vines. All the vines do is dig deeper into my flesh. Finally, when I know that there is no way to get out of this mess, I start to scream, hoping that someone will find me. _

"Alison!" a familiar voice yells. Hazily, I open my eyes and find that my dream wasn't real. A breath of relief escapes my lips at that fact. It doesn't last long, though. Blinding white light surrounds me. Suddenly, a blurry figure appears in front of my face. "Alison, are you okay? Can you hear me?" It's Hallie. I nod, and she sighs happily. She turns around to face someone who is behind her. "She's fine. Doctors did a good job. At least she is able to wake up."

"Yes, yes, but how are we going to fit this into the schedule?" I hear Jamie comment from behind her. As soon as I open my mouth to yell that not everything is about the schedule, Hallie decides to voice her own concern.

"Jamie, just shut up about the schedule for a minute, please! We have an injured tribute that is only fourteen, and the thing that you worry about is the schedule? Sometimes, I worry about what might go on inside your head." Hallie shoots back, seriously bothered.

"Where am I?" I manage to choke out. My throat feels as dry as sandpaper. Finally, my eyes clear up, and I see Hallie's face is clouded with mixed emotions. I can't tell whether she is mad or if she is upset. She could even be feeling sympathy for my situation. As soon as I glance at Jamie, though, all I see is annoyance. My eyes glance all around the room for a minute, and I have to squint at all of the white in the room. White walls, white blankets on top of me, white curtains on the windows.

"In the hospital." Hallie answers. "After you had your little... incident..." She air-quotes "incident". "...we had to try to sneak you out of the train so that the Capitol reporters and paparazzi wouldn't notice that you were unconscious with pieces of glass in your head. Thankfully, while Jamie and I carried you out of the train through the back, Cato distracted them. For Brutus, though, I don't know where he is."

"Hallie! I thought you knew!" Jamie squeals unhappily. She sighs and holds her hand up to signal that she is very stressed out. "You know what? I just... I can't deal with this unorganization."

Hallie finally bursts. "And I can't deal with one of District 2's mentors assaulting one of our tributes! This shouldn't have happened! Alison has done nothing but try to get used to the fact that she could die, and then look what happened. You need to get your priorities straight." When she stops talking, Jamie just stares at her, shocked at her yelling. To be honest, even I am surprised.

"Well then, I guess I should stop worrying about our schedule for a few minutes." Jamie spits out. Hallie glares at her.

"Yes, you should." Hallie huffs. An awkward silence fills the hospital room for a minute, but then Hallie decides to talk again. "Alison, we should try working on your persona real quick before you are released."

For the next hour, Hallie tries to teach me everything she knows about being cocky and rude, but the best I am able to pull off is a few mildly cocky greetings.

"Hallie, for the thousandth time, this is just not going to work for her!" Jamie groans. "She is simply not able to act any different than her usual personality!"

"Shut up, she just has to work a little harder at it." Hallie shoots back. This bickering between them goes on for a while, and one question occurs to me: how did they get along for so many years?

"Hallie, Jamie, stop fighting." I sigh. Both Hallie and Jamie turn to me, a little bit of red flushing their faces. Really, how _did _they tolerate each other for so long? If they fight this much now, how did they react to each other three years ago, when Hallie first became a mentor?

"Jamie, you should probably see if Alison is ready to leave the hospital." Hallie coughs, clearly showing that she wants Jamie to leave. Jamie rolls her eyes, stomps over to the door, and steps out without another word. Finally, after a minute, I can't take just laying here anymore. I weakly manage to rip out the wires in my arms, and Hallie instantly notices.

"What are you doing?" Hallie demands.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I reply, pushing myself off of the hospital bed and standing up. The cold of the linoleum floor bites at my bare feet, but I ignore it. For some strange reason, the doctors left me in the dress I was wearing earlier. I guess they knew I would be able to leave today.

"Alison, please sit down." Hallie pleads, gently grabbing my arm. Quickly, I rip my arm away from her and start to walk towards the door without saying a word to her. She tries again, and this time, I move my arm so that she can't grab it again. "Alison, just because you think you can leave doesn't mean that you are ready to."

"Great news!" Jamie's high-pitched voice enters the room as she opens the wooden door and steps in. I step back a little bit so that she won't run into me. She claps her hands together. "The nurses said that Alison is ready to leave the hospital." Jamie turns to me. "Now, we can finally get you ready for the chariots!"

"Quick question: How are we going to get Alison out of here without people noticing?" Hallie condescendingly asks, crossing her arms and letting a scowl cross her gaunt face. Jamie glances at her with annoyance in her eyes.

"How about you tell me? You've done it before." Jamie sneers. What does that suppose to mean? My eyebrows knit together, and my eyes shift to Hallie. At first, her face pales and her eyes become blank as though she is thinking of something, but after a few seconds, her face flushes with anger.

"Why in the world would you bring that up?!" Hallie shrieks, not caring if it's too loud. I can tell that she is really trying hard not to curse at Jamie. Still, though, what really did happen? Finally, after a second, I see one tiny, shimmering tear stream down her cheek and onto the floor. One tiny sign that she is more than just a heartless mentor has now been exposed. Blinking the tears in her blue-gray eyes away, Hallie grabs my arm and forcefully pulls me towards the heavy door.

"Hallie, are you okay?" I whisper, trying not to get her anymore upset than she already is.

"We have to go. We're late." She growls, pulling the door open and letting the doorknob slam into the wall. A nurse sitting in a desk across the hall sharply jerks her head up at the sound. Her long, yellow, blue-streaked hair flies up as her head does and then cascades perfectly down her square shoulders, and her genetically engineered chocolate-colored eyes stare at Hallie.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" she kindly asks. Hallie slowly turns her head to look at the nurse.

"Just peachy." Hallie spits out as she drags me to the left and to an elevator at the end of the hall, with Jamie closely following.

"Halite, slow down!" Jamie commands, using a name for Hallie that I can only assume is her real name.

"Jamie, I don't have to do anything you say. You are not my mother!" Hallie shouts back, but not looking at her. Suddenly, Hallie pulls me into an open elevator and presses a button to make the door close, leaving behind Jamie. "Alison, put this on." Hallie murmurs tiredly, pulling her leather jacket off and handing it to me. When I cautiously take it from her, it almost pulls me down because it is so heavy. Slowly, I slip it on, and I realize that it perfectly fits me. Hallie must be really skinny, but I never noticed. "Now, quickly put your hair into a ponytail." She hands me a beige rubber band, and I obey. "And for the finishing touch..." As soon as she pulls a long piece of cloth out of her jeans pocket, she rips it in half with her teeth and wraps it around my head.

"What are you doing?" I ask her, my eyes slanting.

"That doesn't matter." Hallie sighs. Then, after she is finished, she smiles weakly at me. "Let's get you to the RemakeBuilding." Finally, the elevator door slides open with a groan, and Hallie silently grabs my arm again. While she leads me through the lobby to the front doors, I hide my face from all of the Capitol citizens walking around. The nurse that was across the hall from my room at least was more normal than the rest of the people that work here.

"Okay, here we are." Hallie exclaims when she stops walking. I glance up and find a long, black car sitting in front of us. Something seems weird about it, but I just don't know what about it seems strange. Hallie appears okay with it, though, so why should I be worried? Quickly, she pulls the door open and hops inside, dragging me with her. On the inside of the car, darkness invades the entire roomy backseat. The large windows are tinted so dark to the point where you can't even look through them. Fortunately, light bulbs in the ceiling of the car illuminate the backseat, and Hallie coughs.

"So, can I take this ribbon off of my head?" I ask her, and she fails to stifle a laugh.

"Yes, I don't think you will need it anymore." She laughs. Blowing a piece of loose hair out of my face, I untie the ribbon around my head and let it fall to the velvet floor. Next, I unwind the rubber band from my hair, and redo my hair into a bun on the side of my head. Thankfully, the rubber band stays in place. After a couple minutes of a content silence, the window in front of us descends, and I look up from the floor to see who it is. When I do, though, I wish I hadn't. My heart starts pounding, and fear ties knots in my stomach. I have seen these kinds of people all over my area of District 2. They stalk innocent young women during the day, and through the night, all we hear is their screams. Once, when I was little, I had woke up in the middle of the night and heard someone screaming. Being 6 years old, I was curious, so I had got up and toddled over to the window to see what was happening. I saw four people dressed up in the same outfit the driver is wearing now, blindfolding a woman and literally dragging her along the dark, dusty road, and I never saw her again. Now, Hallie and I might be just a couple more victims.

"Let's have a little talk, ladies."

**SO... what do you think? Good? Bad? "Okay"? Please let me know! I love to read your reviews! BTW, I want to know if you guys want another person's point of view, and I've been thinking about writing another person's point of view, so if you do, review or inbox me on the person you want to tell their point of view. **

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

_**"Sometimes, you have to be your own hero."**_

**-SopranoGhostWriter :)**


	7. An Unexpected Meeting

**Hello readers! Hey, at least this update was a little quicker than last time's! :D I always look at the positive side of things. I would like to thank my beautiful reviewers for reviewing! I become so happy when I get at least one review so getting that many reviews... my heart almost exploded with joy. :'D Anyway, enjoy chapter 8! **

"What do you want from us?" Hallie hisses at the man. Wildly, my eyes dart from Hallie to the man driving to Hallie again. The man's gray eyes seem cold and hostile as he glares back at Hallie. Why is this guy here? There is no reason that he would travel all the way from District 2 to the Captiol just to try to kidnap us. First, because he is risking life in prison for trying to kidnap a tribute. Second, because it's just too far for a kidnapper to go. It really wouldn't be worth it.

"Yeah, why are you here?" I wonder aloud, and the man glances at me with his gray eyes. They look so cold. That's when I notice the faint aroma of roses. Roses... it's a surprisingly familiar smell. It's unrecognizable, though. Then, the stench gets heavier as I listen to the passenger door opening and slamming shut. A blood-spattered white glove pats the driver on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Mr. Foxe. You may drive now." A deep, but frail voice informs the man in the driver's seat. That voice is even more familiar than the rose scent and the glove. It's heard every year all across Panem. Everyone knows it, but no one wants to hear it. Even Hallie's skinny hand is shaking as she pushes herself up in her seat to sit up straight. Her eyes are wide and glued to something, and I do not want to see what or who it is at all. Suddenly, the passenger's side tinted window descends, and my eyes shift to the sound. I immediately notice short white hair. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Hallie scoot a little bit closer to me. Fear places knots in my stomach, and my heart pounds a little harder. Even though I am worried, I sit up as straight as I can be and stare fearlessly into the pair of eyes I never wanted to meet: President Snow's.

"Hello, Ms. Smith." he greets kindly as his puffy lips curl into a warm smile. There's one thing that everyone in my area of the District knows, though: he is anything but a kind and warm person. Nodding curtly, I grin as genuinely as I can at him. President Snow turns to face Hallie. "Hello, Ms. Conrad."

"Hello, President Snow." Hallie flatly greets. President Snow sends her an unhappy look, but she doesn't budge. Wow. I wish I could do that without almost jumping out of my skin.

"Ms. Smith, you look very beautiful today." President Snow compliments.

"Thank you." I reply, smiling a fake smile again. He seems satisfied with my response.

"Mr. Foxe, will you start driving please? I wouldn't want to make a tribute and her mentor late." He requests.

"Right away, sir." The driver (Mr. Foxe, I'm assuming) answers, and the car slowly trudges forward. Within a couple of seconds, the car is already moving as fast as the train did.

"Okay, would you like to know why I am taking you to the RemakeCenter personally?" President Snow calmly asks. His slightly red-tinted eyes show another emotion: fury. What have I done? It seems like everyone hates me except for Hallie. And Cato. All I can hope is that he is not beating Brutus to a bloody pulp. Cato wouldn't hold back on it, from what I have seen of him for the past couple days.

"Sure, I guess." I reply. Hallie pokes me in the knee, and I slightly turn my head to look at her. She shakes her head so subtlely that President Snow would not have noticed it. My eyes slant, as if to ask her _What's wrong with me saying that? _I turn back to President Snow, who is brushing a tiny puff of random fuzz off of his shoulder. It silently floats to the ground in the compartment of the car I am sitting in, and it seems to mesh with the floor. Why can't I do that? All I want to do is become invisible to everything and everyone, but no. I am stuck here.

"We need to talk." He grimly states, pulling off one of his gloves and tossing it at Hallie. It hits her with a slap, and her face becomes a shade darker. Okay, maybe two or three shades. She keeps her composure, though.

"About what, Mr. President?" I innocently inquire, staring him straight in the eyes.

"You are quite an astonishing little girl, you really are. You are from District 2, and you were brave enough to stand up on the stage without becoming scared or full of anxiety. That is, until your friend was called to be a tribute. Then, Cato volunteered, but he has already gone into the Hunger Games. Some of the Capitol citizens are not pleased with District 2's performance this year. They saw a girl who didn't think that this is real and a lovesick boy who used to be their favorite, most bloodthirsty victor."

"Sir, not to interrupt, but I do think this is real. This is all very real to me." I clarify, annoyed.

"Well, most people don't believe that. I do, I believe that you believe this is real." He assures me. When he holds his hand out to me, I cautiously accept it. "My opinion doesn't matter, though." He lets go of my hand.

"President Snow, just because District 2 tributes seem very excited about being in the Games, that doesn't mean that they aren't impacted in a negative way. The citizens of the Capitol need to remember that." Hallie interrupts.

"Yes, I know. Cato acting like a lovesick puppy will not help District 2, though, in these Games. His affection for you is clearly shown when he volunteers for your friend. You, of all people, should first know that in a few months, Cato is arranged to marry the Head Gamemaker's daughter, Azalea Crane." He explains. What is the feeling inside my stomach? It most certainly should not be jealousy. It most certainly should not be anger. In fact, whenever my dad watches the TV at the training center back home, Azalea would always appear. I have always envied her straight-as-a-board charcoal hair and her crystal blue eyes, and she seems like a very hardworking person. Even at 17, she participates in deciding the tribute scores every year with her father, Seneca Crane, and the rest of the Gamemakers. "The citizens of the Capitol know, too, so Cato's behavior is going to get him in trouble. Azalea is not happy with it either."

"Well, if Cato is going to the Games and he is to marry her, then he has to win_._ In the Hunger Games, though, there is a one in twenty-four chance that he will win." Hallie absent-mindedly explains.

"So then, he must work harder than the rest. He must win this year." President Snow concludes. Even he already has a winner set in his mind, and if he has the victor already in mind, then he will do anything to make sure they win. No matter what. The car suddenly halts, and President Snow turns to glance out of his window. "Oh, we're here! You two should get going unless you want to lose any more time. I shall see you, Ms. Smith, at the Tribute Parade." He gently takes my hand and lightly kisses it. Now, that part of my hand feels stained and dirty. When he drops my hand, I unnoticeably wipe away the feeling onto my dress. Hallie nods to me, and I grab the door handle. Here we go again. Closing my eyes, I pull on the handle and the door glides open. Finally, after Hallie and I have stepped out of the car and onto the light gray concrete sidewalk, the car's engine starts again, and it speeds around a corner. Now my life doesn't feel real anymore. I have just been told that I have to die in order for someone's plans to continue. I'm only fourteen, and I have to die. How unreal can it get?

"Well," Hallie starts, glancing up at the building. "It seems like that old man seemed to get us to where we need to go." She stops talking when she sees the fear-stricken look on my face. "Don't worry. You are not going to die. The problem is, I can't help you much with that. You'll have to do that on your own."

"How? I can't get sponsors for myself." I retort.

"Yes you can, but first, you have to perfect that kind of attitude." Hallie says, walking up the stairs to get to the back doors. At least President Snow had the decency to drop us off behind the building so the citizens of the Capitol wouldn't see us. Sighing, I roll my eyes and mentally prepare myself for the next few hours.

**SO... What do you think? Good? Bad? "Eh"? Well, please tell me! Like I said, I become really happy when I see that you guys enjoy the story, and I hope you don't want to punch me in the face for this. Anyway, review please? For Alison?**

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

_**"Better not give in to it. It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart."**_** (I just love Finnick Odair. He is very wise... well, sometimes.)**

**-SopranoGhostWriter :)**


	8. Time To Face Facts

**Hello my beautiful readers! Oh my gosh, I think that this is the one of the fastest updates I have done! Fabulouis! (any One Direction fans see what I did there? sorry, just had to) I got inspiration for this chapter based off of the recent passing of my grandpa... :'( *example of inspiration from weird places* Anyways, thanks for the awesome reviews! Today is an exciting day, because *drum roll*... NEW POV! Hope you enjoy it! :D**

*Dante's POV*

_This is all wrong._ My mind mentally keeps repeating that. _This is all wrong, this is all wrong._ It's been about a day since the Reaping, but the anger and the pain is still fresh in my mind. Alison shouldn't have to the Hunger Games; her name shouldn't have been drawn. Whatever I think doesn't matter, though. She's gone, and let's face it: she has a good chance of getting slaughtered. Alison just doesn't have enough training. I've seen her shoot a bow and arrow well enough, but swords and spears are not in her skill range, and those are what District 2 is famous for using. If Cato wouldn't have volunteered, I could have protected her. Of course, though, he just had to volunteer; he had to steal the show. All the tributes from District 2 seem to want to do that.

Even though I am upset about it too, I have to be here to support her family. This morning, I came over to their house to see if they were doing okay, but I was overwhelmed at the sight I found. They are all affected by it. Eileen, Alison's little sister, apparently locked herself in her room once she got home and hasn't come out since. Monica, her mother, has been sobbing herself into sneezing fits. Jonathan, Alison's father, doesn't even talk. He just sits there and tries to give Monica whatever comfort he can through hugging her. Now, Monica is sitting at the kitchen table, bawling into her hands. Jonathan fell asleep on the couch in their living room.

"Why did my baby have to go into the Games?!" Monica shouts. That's the most popular thing she has said all day today. Slightly leaning across the wooden table, I gently grab one of her hands. It feels cold and slick with tears.

"Alison is going to be okay, Mrs. Smith." I choke out, not able to talk any louder for some reason. I never call her Monica, even though she has told me many a time to call her Monica.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, DANTE! YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" Monica screams, ripping her hand away and bolting to her feet. My eyes widen, and I slowly stand up. Even though she has done this a thousand times today, it surprises me every time. "Alison could die!" I wince at how loud she is. "My baby could die, and it'll be my fault!"

"There's nothing you could have done to stop this from happening, Mrs. Smith." I reply flatly.

"Well, I wish there was!" Monica yells. Then, the normal droplets of salty water come bursting out of her eyes again, and I hear small creaks from the staircase in the house. When I spin around to see what came down the stairs, I am surprised by who I see.

"Eileen." I sigh, depressed to see the unusual tear stains running down her cheeks and the tangled mass of brunette hair on her head. Eileen stares blankly back at me with her now-vibrant green eyes, and I notice her bottom lip quivering. Frowning, I hold my arms out to her, and she runs to me. She wraps her skinny arms around my neck and starts to sob into my shoulder. I hate to see her like this. All I have seen of her is happiness and sometimes sarcasm, but never sadness. Eileen's small frame is shaking from all the crying she is doing. Finally, she lets go of me, and when she backs away, my white T-shirt is tear-soaked. "Eileen, everything will be okay."

"Promise." She demands through her crying. Nodding, I kneel to her height and take her tiny hands in mine.

"Eileen April Smith, I, Dante Kevlyn, promise you with every inch of my heart that your sister is going to be okay." I assure her, staring straight into her eyes the entire time. After a minute, she glances at the floor and slowly nods her head.

"Okay, I accept that." Attempting to smile, she looks at me again. The sorrow in her eyes almost makes me burst into tears. Eileen misses her sister so much that she cries nonstop over her sister's absence. I never thought she loved her sister that much. Half-smiling at her, I give her another quick hug and get to my feet.

"Maybe Alison's arrival is on TV." Monica hopefully suggests from behind me. Turning around, I stare at her eyes for a second. Alison has always had a vague purple tint in her green eyes, and I know where she got it from. Her mother's eyes are almost half purple. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Eileen nodding, and I nod with her.

"That's a good idea, Mrs. Smith." I mumble, smiling at Monica. She flashes a small smile at me before plopping down on the couch next to Jonathan. His eyes pop open at the movement next to him, but he relaxes once he notices that it's Monica. Wrapping my arm around Eileen's shoulders, I lead her over to her couch and let her sit down first. Then, I sit down next to her.

"Mind if I sit here?" I whisper, grinning. Laughing, she murmurs something I can only understand as 'sure'. Once everyone has settled down on the couch, Monica clicks a button on one of the smallest remotes I have ever seen, and the screen flashes to life. Immediately, Caesar Flickerman appears on the screen with a grimace on his face.

"Panem citizens, we have breaking news! Just this morning, the District 2 train pulled into the Capitol station like it was a normal morning. This was not a normal morning, though. It appears as though Alison Smith, the female District 2 tribute, has been seriously injured or even was killed." He announces. Those words make me sit up and focus on the screen with wide eyes. Sure enough, a picture of people carrying somebody in a shiny dress out of the back of a train appears. No, it can't be Alison that is being carried out. "As you can see, Alison is being carried out of the back of District 2's train by her mentor Hallie Conrad and the District 2 escort, Jamie Kitbrew. If they were wanting to be discreet about this, they weren't planning it well enough! It seems as though Alison is unconscious or dead, with blood dripping out of her head. Hopefully, she is okay and alive, but we cannot be sure." Monica quickly switches the TV off, and we sit in silence for a couple seconds. Alison can't be dead. I would know if she was dead. If she was dead, then she wouldn't… I don't know. The picture was pretty convincing. I can't just wait around to find out though. She's one of my best friends! As fast as lightning, I hop up from my spot and stomp over to the door, where my leather jacket is hanging on the coat hanger.

"Dante, where are you going?" Monica calls from the living room.

"I have to go to the Capitol. I have to know if she's okay." I call back, not daring to turn around. All I would see is sad little Eileen staring back at me, and I just can't dare to look at that right now.

"Dante, if you just wait for a couple of hours, we can check to see if she is better. I know her. She's going to be alive and healthy, but we have to just have patience." Jonathan tries to say. Pulling on my jacket, I find the courage to turn around. Monica, Jonathan, and Eileen are all standing there and watching me. Suddenly, words fly out of my mouth that I have no idea where they came from.

"She is your daughter, Jonathan! Why aren't you feeling the same way I am?! Am I the only one who is going to bother to know if she is alive or not? I'm not just going to sit around and wait for the Capitol to tell me something when I could be going myself to find out!" I burst. Why did I just say that? What is wrong with me? Then, I say something another part of my brain knew, but not me. "I love her! I feel like I need to know!" All of their eyes widen at my statement. Suddenly, I realize what I have just said. Anxiously, I run my fingers through my honey-colored hair and stare at the ground. I can't believe that came out of my mouth. "I'll see you later." With that, I pull open the front door and head out, shutting the door with a slam. The unusually cold air bites at my fingers and my face. It's like my brain isn't even in control of me anymore. Stopping my feet for a second, I close my eyes and take a breath. Right now, I have to focus on getting to the train station so that I can head to the Capitol. Time to get my priorities straight.

**What do you think? Was the new POV okay? This is my first time doing a new point of view, so please tell me if I did good! :D **

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

_**"The difference between your mind and your heart is that your mind tells you what's smart, while your heart tells you what you're going to do anyway."**_

**-SopranoGhostWriter :)**


	9. Unwanted Apologies

**Hello readers! So nice to update again! Thanks for the reviews guys, I'm happy you like the story so far! :D**

**To RoseMaple- I know, right... Cato can't just go behind all of our backs and get engaged like that. I will try to update sooner! *crossing my fingers* Thank you for reviewing! :) **

**To Abigail25- Thank you for reviewing! :D **

"Alison, try to be nice to your team. Your stylist, Petunia, isn't very mentally healthy sometimes. It's not just because she is a citizen of the Capitol, either." Hallie explains. Her comment makes me almost let out a snicker. Citizens of the Capitol can be very... eccentric.

"When have I not been nice?" I suddenly say. My face twists into a puzzled expression. Why would I care if I've been nice or not? This has been a really mixed-up experience so far, I can say that.

"The prep team members aren't very old, either. Two of them are nine-year-old twins, and the third is only seventeen. Appears the Capitol really wanted to make this year special, even if it meant hiring kids to do their work." Hallie leads me through lots of narrow, winding hallways and a couple of stainless steel elevators until we get to a smoked-glass door marked with FEMALE-2. "Here we are."

"Hallie, I'm a little nervous." I mumble, resisting the urge to chew on my fingernails. Sighing, Hallie does something she doesn't seem like she would do: she gives me a quick hug.

"You'll be fine, Alison. Just try not to worry about what's ahead of you." She whispers into my ear. I wish she was right. Finally, when she pulls away, she flashes me a sad smile and turns to the door. Without another word she quickly grabs the metal handle and turns it, letting the door creak open.

The room is a considerably large room, with a small gray barber-shop chair in the middle of it and two long tables on both sides of it. Both have colorful chemicals that are unknown to me, which is definitely quite scary. Behind the chair stand four females. The woman that looks the oldest would probably be 6 feet tall without her stilettos, the girl that has almost the same hairstyle as Jamie looks about a foot shorter than the woman, and the two little girls are the same height, which is probably about 3 and a half feet tall.

"Meet Petunia, your stylist." Hallie introduces. The tall, purple-wigged woman with white powder covering her face steps forward and smiles politely. I have heard about Petunia. She was one of the stylists last year for District 2, along with Willow, the other stylist.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Alison!" Petunia squeaks. She stretches her hand out and I shake it with a fake smile on my face.

"Alison, this is your prep team!" Hallie gestures towards the three girls that were standing next to Petunia. One of them (the Jamie of the group) struts over to me.

"Hi, I'm Stevie." The girl announces with a grin on her face. She leans over so that her mouth is right next to my ear. "I don't have the kind of over-the-top fashion sense they do, so just stick with me." Stevie straightens up and walks backwards to stand next to the others on the prep team. The other two skip up to me and grin really big, with their long brunette hair bouncing behind them and their ruffled light pink dresses fluttering around them. They kind of remind me of Eileen. At least their innocence hasn't been tainted by the Capitol yet.

"Hello!" they squeal in sync with each other. "We're twins!" _No wonder, _I think to myself as I try to keep the smile on my face.

"I am Amaryllis..." one of them greets. _Remember, Amaryllis is the one with the pink hair pin._ I mentally note. "...and this is Aster." Amaryllis points to the other girl. _Aster has a white hair pin_.

"Hi!" Aster squeaks.

"Hello, girls." I say. They both wave and then hop backwards.

"Well," Hallie starts. "I am going to step out so they can get to beautifying you, and I will be back in a half and hour to get you."

"Okay." I agree. Hallie slightly waves and with that, she walks off to somewhere else.

* * *

For the next hour, I get waxed, painted on, and prodded. Finally, after what seems like forever, Hallie walks back in with a soft, gray robe. I change into it and she brings me into a cold room with a small table in it.

"Petunia will be here in a minute." Hallie says as she strolls out the door. I nod, even though I know Hallie can't see it. As I wait for Petunia, I think about where Cato might be. He might already be talking to Willow about his chariot outfit, and where is Petunia?

"Hello sweetie!" Petunia squeaks.

"Hello Petunia!" I reply. She gives me a tight hug.

"Okay, are you ready to look at your chariot outfit?" she inquires gleefully.

"Yes!" I energetically answer, plastering a fake smile on my face once again. She takes me by the hand and leads me to a changing room, where she ushers me in.

"Put the outfit on and then we will go to the chariots." She whispers. I shut the door and take the robe off. My bare body looks strangely skinny in the wall mirror, but I guess that is how most everyone's body looks. Quickly, I search for my outfit and find it (a chain mail leotard with silver shoulder pads, a silver chest cover, a plain gray skirt, and silver two-inch high heels) hanging on another wall. I frantically slip into the costume and scurry out the door. When I stumble out, Petunia gasps. "You look beautiful, Alison!"

"Thanks." I sheepishly mumble, glancing at my feet. In the blink of an eye, she walks behind me and fixes my hair into a ponytail with a blood-red ribbon.

"There we go. All finished!" Petunia announces, clapping her hands together like she's just finished an art piece. "Let's go!" Finally, we start running to make it to the chariots in time, with me stumbling every few seconds. It's not easy running in high heels. Once we arrive, it is three minutes until the time that the chariots will start moving. All the other tributes are at the chariot garage, with their stylists checking on their costumes every few seconds and making sure that everything is in order.

"Where have you been?" a voice requests from behind me. I turn around to find Cato, in a sort-of matching costume, partially glaring down at me with his arms crossed over his chest. Why would he be mad?

"Getting my costume on." I reply, gesturing towards my chariot outfit.

"Alison, Cato, you two should go ahead on up to the chariots." Jamie's voice suggests from behind me. I nod without looking at her. Suddenly, Cato grabs my hand and yanks me behind him as he starts marching towards our chariot.

"Try not to rip off my arm before the Games, please." I exclaim, trying to gain enough balance.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there when everything happened." Cato says, slowing down so that I can hear what he's saying. Sighing, I pull on his hand to try to stop him, but it fails. He stops walking anyway and turns his head to glance at me. The cold that clouded his eyes when I first met him has seemed to fade now. All that's left is guilt.

"There wasn't anything you could do, Cato. It's over, so just try to forget about it." I whisper, staring him in the eyes. He shouldn't be feeling guilty, if anything. He shouldn't even care about me. There's no point, because he is going to win, and when he does, I'll be dead. Azalea should be the only person he cares about, but no. He has to care about me, and the more time that he has feelings for me, the more my life is at risk of being taken by President Snow before the Games. Finally, Cato faces forward again and drags me past the District 4 and 3 chariots. Suddenly, I feel myself being lifted off the ground and being planted on the right side of the cart. By the time I realize that it was Cato, he has already climbed onto the other side of the cart and the District 1 chariot has started to move. Our chariot jolts forward and Capitol citizens start screaming even louder than for the District 1 tributes. I wave to the people on my side and they wave ferociously back. Cato grasps my hand again and I look over at him.

"What are you doing?" I whisper loudly.

"This crowd loved Katniss and Peeta doing this last year, so why don't we do the same?" Cato suggests.

"Cato, President Snow is going to kill me if we do." A confused look crosses his face.

"Why?"

"I know about Azalea." With those words, his face blanches, and he drops my hand. We go back to waving to the crowd again, and at one point, I almost fall out of the chariot. Or, at least, I feel like I do. After a minute, our chariot stops in front of President Snow's balcony.

"Welcome, tributes!" President Snow begins. All of the tributes stare up at him. "As you know, it was decreed that each year, the twelve districts of Panem should offer up one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to be trained in the art of survival and to be prepared to fight to the death. We salute your courage and your sacrifice and we wish you all Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor." President Snow booms. The Capitol attendees go crazy over what he said. Suddenly, the chariots turn around and we exit the parade. When the District 2 cart parks in the chariot garage, we find our stylists, our prep teams, and Jamie and Hallie.

"Alison! Cato! You guys did wonderful!" Petunia exclaims. Stevie is clapping, Willow is nodding in agreement, and Cato's prep team –all of them are guys- is crying out of joy.

"Thanks Petunia!" I say with fake enthusiasm.

"Yeah, thanks." Cato mumbles. Amaryllis and Aster come to give me a hug, but shrink away with frightened expressions on their faces. Cato cocks his head a little bit, confused at what they just did.

"What's wrong?" I inquire, and after I finish the question, Hallie gasps in surprise.

"Hello again." Brutus's voice mutters from behind me. My eyes widen as I slowly turn around. Sure enough, Brutus is standing behind me with whiskey stains on his shirt.

"What do you think you are doing?" Cato asks through gritted teeth.

"I am going to jail in a minute." Brutus explains. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. You were both perfect when you were on the chariot." A small shred of sadness replaces a tiny sliver of anger after he says that. Maybe he was just trying to help me, in a strange way. Maybe he was just wanting to help me avoid the grief that I would have every day if I ever had a chance to win. Those thoughts don't replace the anger and the pain, though. I nod to acknowledge those words.

"Okay, you said what you wanted to say. Now, it's time to go." a Peacekeeper behind Brutus flatly orders. Finally, Brutus is led away. The sharp pang of guilt shoots through my stomach again. There's nothing I can do about it, though. No words are spoken as Jamie leads Hallie, the stylists, and Cato and I to the District 2 apartment.

**What do you think? Was this chapter good? It might not be as good... my mind is not thinking very clearly, due to being sick. Ugh. Anyway, review please, my beautiful readers! :D**

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

_**"Maybe it's not the happy ending... Maybe it's just about the story."**_

**-SopranoGhostWriter :)**


	10. Explaining Without Any Use

**Hello , my beautiful readers! Sorry I haven't updated... I have been planning and writing a speech for an upcoming speech contest. Thanks for understanding! :D GUYS, THIS IS THE 10TH CHAPTER. Yay! *celebrating* Enjoy ch. 10! **

(LATER THAT NIGHT)

I don't know anymore. I don't know how Cato really feels, I don't know how I am going to survive the Games, I don't know if my family is okay without me. I really just don't know. Even the cold air from standing on the roof doesn't help at all. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and stand as still as I can. Quietly, I start murmuring the words to a song that Faye and I heard last year from our 85-year-old music teacher:

_"Do you have to, make me feel like_

_There's nothing left of me?_

_You can take anything I have, and_

_You can break everything I am_

_Like I'm made of glass_

_Like I'm made of paper_

_So go on and try to tear me down, and_

_I will be rising from the ground like a skyscraper_

_Like a skyscraper"_

"Bravo, District 2. Bravo." A woman's familiar, high-pitched voice sarcastically exclaims while slow clapping. I've heard her voice before, I know that. Maybe on some television broadcast or something. I have no clue where I heard it from. Slowly, I turn around and find that I do know that voice: it is from the widely known Azalea Crane. The Head Gamemaker's daughter. The girl Cato is arranged to marry. My heart stops for a second, because just because she acts so kind to people in need, that doesn't mean that she isn't scary. This is the Head Gamemaker's daughter that we're talking about, not some regular woman that helps the tributes train or someone like that. Azalea doesn't have her signature 'Don't worry about anything' look on her gaunt face. Her blood-red lipstick lined lips are twisted into a cruel smirk, and her charcoal hair is put into a braid that runs down her shoulder. Her arms are crossed over her chest, and the genetically engineered red orbs under her thin eyelids burn holes in my skin. Azalea starts to stroll towards me. "I didn't know that you could sing."

"I don't for others." I growl. Surprisingly, my tone of voice is full of anger and cold. Why am I talking to Azalea like that? First of all, she is the one that can decide my fate, and second of all, I barely even know her. She could just appear cruel and mean, but maybe she could be a nice person.

"Well, look who's feisty today." She teases, patting my cheek. Her fingers are ice cold.

"No, I just don't like people sneaking up on me like that." I reply, staring into her eyes with an annoyed expression. Azalea stares back at me with the same expression for a minute until finally, she gives up. I can outstare anyone in my area of District 2 except my dad. "You know, you have quite an attitude, little girl. That can get you in trouble." She warns me, slightly pointing at me and then lowering her finger. "But, you know what else can get you in trouble? Your little secret relationship with my future husband."

"I have no secret relationship with Cato, Azalea-"

"You, Miss District 2, can refer to me as Mrs. Hadley, because you are never going to after the Games. I'm just going to tell you this now: back off of my man, you little brat, or I can assure you that you are going to be the first dead in the Games." She hisses. Why does everyone hate me? I never did anything towards the President or Azalea, or made them think that I was plotting against them, but for some reason, everyone is making threats towards me. I'm getting sick of all of this.

"I'm not the one doing anything! Your supposed husband is the one making all of the moves towards me!" I exclaim, emphasizing the 'your' and 'me'. Azalea looks at me with a stunned expression on her face, her mouth forming an O. Probably stunned that someone finally stood up to her bullying.

"Cato isn't like that. He loves me, and there's nothing that a little 14-year-old can do about that."

"Have you even met him? He's a player! He has dated so many girls in the last month that I can't count them on two hands! Why do you think he would love you?"

"Because he does! Love needs no explanation. And yes, I have met him, many times." I can't believe that I, a 'little 14-year-old', am smarter and more realistic than a 17-year-old that works for the Gamemakers.

"It's not love! It's fame and money, and that's it. That's all it's for. I can't believe that you don't realize that, or are you just pretending that you don't?" I try to explain to her. Apparently, though, she takes my explanation as a challenge, and her hand slaps me hard across the face. Stars appear in my eyes, and pain shoots through my face. The area she slapped starts to throb, and I grasp at the side of the railing for balance. After a second, the cold air starts to help the stinging.

"Watch your back, you little brat." She spats, and with that, she storms over to the elevator on the other side of the roof and steps in. When she steps in, she stabs at a button on the wall, and the doors slide shut with a _whoosh._ Staring at the doors for a few more seconds, my mind goes blank, and then one thought pops into my head: my life went wrong when Cato first started to care about me.

**So... what do ya think? Awesome? Bad? "meh"? Please tell me! Sorry if it seems a little short... writer's block has also moved into my head again. Ugh. Also, sorry if it seems like I'm trying to advertise, but will you guys go read my other story "Tomorrow Will Be Better"? I don't know if I should continue it, and I only will continue it if you guys like it, so please let me know! :D**

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

_**"Maybe there's something you are afraid to say, or someone you are afraid to love, or somewhere you're afraid to go. It's going to hurt. It's going to hurt because it matters."**_

**-SopranoGhostWriter :)**


	11. New Rival and New Worries

**Hello my amazing readers! :D The new update has come! Yay! Anyway, I would like to thank RoseMaple for reviewing to every chapter and bringing a smile to my face! Also, readers who haven't reviewed, please review. I enjoy everyone's thoughts. :) Enjoy Chapter 11, everyone! (btw, none of Alison or *cough* some character's opinions in a certain discussion later on are NOT at all my opinions of anything. They are completely in the story... you will get what I am talking about soon.)**

"Remember Alison, be fearless. It's all you really have to go off of in the Careers." Hallie whispers in my ear, and I nod. All I do is face the stainless steel elevator doors. Today is the first day of training for the Games, and Hallie doesn't seem to be sugarcoating anything this morning. All I have received from her this morning are insults about how vulnerable I look to the Capitol citizens, and how the sudden red mark on my cheek is just so distracting to her. She is starting to sound like Jamie, which is ironic because she hates her. When she noticed the slap mark, I was surprised that it was still there. One time when I was nine, I had went to Faye (whose dad is the area's doctor) after I had unintentionally slapped this horribly mean girl at school, and Faye said that slap marks only last about 30 minutes tops. I guess Azalea decided to use her hardest slap on me. "At least Jamie's makeup was able to cover up that huge red splotch on your face. Seriously, what happened?"

"Must have fallen off of my bed while I was sleeping." I lie. Hallie accepts it, though, and she puts my hair into a ponytail with the same blood-red ribbon from the tribute parade.

"You know, those kinds of marks don't come from just falling. Something must have happened besides that." Cato interrupts, glancing down at me. His voice scares me a little bit, since I had forgotten that he was in the elevator also. He must know that I'm lying. Out of the corner of my eye, I look up at him.

"Why do you even care?" I coldly spat.

"I don't, I'm just trying to point it out that that doesn't come from falling. Just saying." He replies, looking back at the doors. Silence fills the elevator for a minute until the elevator halts to a stop and the doors slide open. It's deathly silent in the center.

"Have fun, you two!" Hallie exclaims and slightly shoves me and Cato through the door. I send a little glare back at her and take a second to regain my balance, but Cato just keeps walking like nothing happened. I take a deep breath and walk into the middle of the room. Behind me, the doors shut, and the sound seals the deal. I really am in this. I really am in these Games. Cato puts his cocky persona to work while he struts over to the other Careers, who are a brown-haired, tall boy and a white-haired girl whose face is caked with all different kinds of makeup. When I arrive over to the rest of the tributes, I end up standing with the girl from District 4 and a girl with bright blue eyes and gleaming blonde hair that has been put into a braid that runs down her back. Once I realize who this is, a gasp threatens to escape my mouth: it's Primrose Everdeen, Katniss Everdeen's little sister. Primrose eyes me suspiciously.

"Is there something wrong?" I ask her, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Yeah. Shouldn't you be with the Careers?" she questions, but not in a curious way. More like a mocking way. I already don't like her.

"Later on, I'll have to be." I reply.

"You shouldn't be with us. You don't care about anything but winning." She insults, and I flinch at the cold tone in her voice. I thought she was a nice, sweet little girl, but I guess I was wrong. Now, though, it's my turn to be the mean one.

"I wish I could say different about your sister." I shoot back. Immediately, I wish I could take it back. I've never said anything that mean before, and Katniss actually seemed really caring. Why am I letting rude feelings take control of my mind? Primrose's jaw drops at the words.

"District 2 really is heartless, isn't it?" she responds after a minute, her voice sounding broken. I can't believe I just said what I said. "You know, I hope that your sister gets reaped in the future so that she can die a way worse one than you will." I don't feel bad about my words now. The urge to slam her against a wall pokes at me, but I ignore it.

"Really shouldn't be telling a Career that, should you?" I growl at her, my head flicking in her direction. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch the District 4 girl skitter away. Laughing, Primrose takes a challenging step towards me.

"Do I look like I care about a Career like you? You couldn't take me down even if I let you try." She spats. I take a step towards her.

"I could take you down, and you wouldn't even see me coming." I say. We both walk towards each other until we are a deadly few inches apart.

"I'd like to see you try, you stick of a twit." She whispers, a smirk on her face. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Back off, you two. You can fight in a few days, but not today." A woman's voice booms from behind me, and I slowly turn around to find a tall, dark-skinned woman standing right behind me. I glance at her nametag, which reads 'Atala'.

"I'll be glad to wait. The longer I don't have to fight with someone, the better." Primrose says from behind. When I glance over my shoulder, I see a pout on her face. Oh, this girl will probably be the end of my tolerance level.

* * *

After the head trainer Atala's little speech, I start to make my way around all of the stations, starting with the knives. I have always been good with knives, but I am reluctant to use them. Probably because I always think that it is going to fly out of my hand unexpectedly and hurt someone else. In these Games, I guess that is what I am hoping for. Once I get to the station, I cautiously take one of the silver knives off of the knife rack. It feels lightweight, light enough that it won't drop too quickly when it is thrown, but heavy enough that it can land at the exact target of the knife. This is a very good kind of knife to be dealing with. Slowly, I aim for one of the targets and position the knife so that it can be sent into the exact spot I want it to go. Just as I am about to throw the knife, someone clears their throat, and I drop the knife. It clatters onto the floor with a loud crack. About to start shouting, I turn around and find the District 1 male standing there behind me, staring at me with his gray eyes.

"Is there something you want?" I partially yell, glaring at him. He chuckles and takes one step towards me.

"Are you the spunky little girl that was arguing with the Girl on Fire's sister a few minutes ago?" The deepness in his voice surprises me.

"Don't you dare call me spunky again, or I will rip your face off of your head." I growl, bending down to pick the knife off of the ground. When I stand back up, he is smirking like crazy at me. "Stop. You're scaring me, seriously."

"That's good. I want you to be scared, because in these Games..." he says, leaning over to whisper in my ear. "...anything can happen."

"Please leave me alone." I squeak.

"Oh no, I can't do that." He seductively whispers. I try to scoot back, but I find myself cornered between this creepy tribute and the knife rack. "We are both Careers, and Careers have to stick together."

"That doesn't mean you should be creeping around me." I respond, feeling my legs start to shake. He chuckles again and starts to lean in. Oh great. I've got a stalker who wants to kiss me and kill me at the same time. Suddenly, he is ripped off of me, and I find someone pulling my hand. After a second, I find myself behind Cato.

"Jim, leave her alone! She doesn't want you, can't you see?" he exclaims towards 'Jim', and 'Jim' doesn't seem to be too happy about it.

"Cato, why do you care? You don't even care about her!"

"She still shouldn't have to worry about being violated in some way by her own ally." Cato defends, sounding annoyed at the least. Jim's eyebrows rise a little in surprise.

"So, you choose the swing vote of the alliance over a sure-fire member?" Jim practically yells, and a few of the tributes glance over at us. I wish I wasn't here. I wish I could be like that girl Dorothy from a story my mom once told me and just click my heels together to get home. But no, I have to be stuck in a place where there is a small chance of me surviving the next week.

"Are you questioning what I am wanting?" Cato asks, clearly mad. Jim backs off a little bit.

"Sorry! Forget any of this happened. Go back to your little session of training, Miss Smith." Jim says, backing away, turning around, and jogging over to his partner at the archery station. Cato and I just stand there for a minute, saying nothing to each other, and then he lets go of my hand.

"Sorry about that. Jim is really a loose cannon." He mutters. Nodding, I put the knife I didn't realize I was still holding back on the rack. "Did he hurt you?"

"No." I simply answer, turning around to look at Cato. His blue eyes seem a little darker now.

"Okay, good." He states. "What did the little blondie want?"

"The fact that I know how much she wants me to die." His eyes widen a little bit at this. He doesn't say anything for a second.

"Well," he finally says, "at least you are in the Careers. Everyone is scared of them."

"Yeah, I guess." I reply. If only everyone was, and I wouldn't have to worry about the sister of one of the greatest tributes in the history of the Hunger Games giving me a slow, painful death. If only I didn't have to worry about anything simply because of the fact that I am technically in the Career alliance. If only someone else had gotten picked instead of me.

**So... what do you think? Please let me know! :) Also, what do you think of Prim? I know, I changed her personality a little bit... *cough* maybe a lot, but yeah, she and Alison really just don't like each other, so that is their attitude towards each other right now. As always, review!**

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

_**"My strength didn't come from lifting weights. It came from picking myself back up whenever I was knocked down." ~Unknown**_

**-SopranoGhostWriter :)**


	12. Meeting Up Again

**Hello my readers! I am feeling quite awesomesauce today, since this is the new chapter! :D Enjoy! **

(NEXT DAY)

This morning, I wake up with a cold sweat. Nightmares flooded my subconscious state, and every dream I had included Primrose and Jim. One was about them teaming up to kill me, another was just about Primrose finding me alone in the woods, and the last one was about Jim and his district partner shooting at me with arrows. At least I could barely remember them. I quickly shoot up and scan the room, trying to see if something unusual is in my room. Once I see that everything is normal, I slowly climb out of bed and saunter over to the mirror sitting on a desk in the corner. My reflection scares me a little bit. My eyes are bloodshot and ringed by red, and tangled, brunette strings replace my hair. This is the worst I have ever felt. Sighing, I head into the small bathroom in my room and look in that mirror to see if the first mirror was just lying to me. Still, the same reflection meets me. I blindly reach across the long counter to grab the small yellow brush sitting at the edge. I hesitate for a second, realizing that it reminds me of my brush back at home. Once I grab it, I quickly run it through my hair and gradually get it into its original state. _At least that problem is taken care of,_ I think to myself as I put the brush back down. Now, I have to take care of the puffiness around my eyes. How did my eyes become puffy? Am I allergic to something here in the Capitol, or was I crying in my sleep? I have no clue. Suddenly, an idea pops into my head: why not go for a walk outside before training? Sure, it's kind of a bad idea. I could possibly be late for training, but still. I can't go back to sleep anyways, and it's too early for me to even think about getting a head start on training. Nodding at my idea, I walk out of my bathroom and cross the room to the closet. Hopefully, there is _something_ I can wear for my little walk. When I open the door, glittery, shiny dresses are the first things that I notice. No way am I going to wearing those. Suddenly, I see something on the floor of the closet, shoved away in the corner. Carefully, I kneel down and pull it out, and I notice that it is an old, faded denim jacket. The only way I recognize this is because I have seen a couple people around my area wear one. I could wear this, I guess. Quickly, I put it on, and without a word, slip out of my bedroom door and to the living room.

"Where do you think you are going?" Jamie's high-pitched voice asks from behind me as soon as I reach the door. Oh, no. Jamie found me. Slowly, I turn around to find her standing next to the large, wooden dining table.

"Jamie, can I go-"

"Absolutely not."

"Jamie, you don't even know what I was going to say."

"Doesn't matter. You can't leave without someone from your District 2 team, and I don't plan on leaving right now."

"Please, Jamie. I have been having really bad nightmares ever since yesterday, and I can't go back to sleep. Please let me go for a short walk. I will be back in seven minutes. It won't be long, just please." I plead, giving her puppy eyes. She stays silent for a minute, but gives in and sighs.

"Fine. But I will be counting." She groans, walking over to a couch and plopping down. I seriously don't know how she doesn't trip in her heels. They look like they are almost as tall as this building.

"Thank you. I'll be back soon." I hurriedly thank her, and with that, I head out of the apartment.

* * *

The cold outside air slaps me as I head out of the apartment building, and I love it. I love the feeling of having this freedom, and normally in District 2, I wouldn't be this happy to escape. The other thing I love is the cold air. Ever since I was little, I have always loved being in cold air. That's why I never really cared if my family's house was cold or not. It just never bothered me. To my surprise, clouds hang in the sky. I guess the Capitol is feeling a little sad today. Quickly, I make a sharp turn around a corner and instantly bump hard into someone. Luckily, I don't fall over.

"I'm so sorry, I-" I begin before I glance up at the person's face and my mouth drops open. I am shocked by who I see. Actually, more than shocked. So shocked that I can't even think of the right word to describe how I feel. My eyes widen at who is standing in front of me.

"Allie?"

(*a certain someone's* POV)

"Allie?" I quietly ask. Her bright green eyes stare at me as though she has seen a ghost. I would understand why she is so surprised to see me, but all I feel is happy to see her. After a second, a huge grin breaks across her face as she realizes who I am.

"Dante!" she squeals as she throws her arms around me and hugs me. Laughing, I wrap my arms around her too. It almost takes the air out of me. Alison can be a really tight hugger sometimes.

"Can't breathe, Allie." I whisper, fake choking. She laughs embarrassedly and lets me go.

"Sorry. I'm just really happy to see you." She murmurs, smiling sheepishly up at me. It only takes that smile to make me decide that I really do love this girl.

"I'm happy to see you too. So tell me, is the Capitol treating you well?" I inquire, and she nods.

"Whatever 'well' is in the Hunger Games." She sassily remarks, glancing to the side of her.

"Are you okay?" I whisper, and her eyes instantly click to mine. "Yeah, I know about what happened. That's why I came. I wanted to make sure that you were doing okay." Alison doesn't say anything for a minute, and then I notice a sad look in her eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine. I don't think I'll ever feel the same after that, but yeah, I'm okay." She answers, smiling a sad smile. Then, she looks behind me. "Did anyone else come?"

"No." I sadly inform her, looking at the ground. I didn't want to seem like the only one who truly cares about her, but then again, it kind of does appear like that. I don't even want to look at the look on her face. It must make her feel horrible to know that no one else cared enough to see if she was okay.

"Oh." She simply states. A silent minute passes before she takes in a sharp breath. "No, I don't want to go back."

"What?" I respond, looking up at her. Alison is looking up at a wall behind me.

"I have to go back to my apartment." She mumbles, and her eyes shift back to me. I hate seeing her like this. A tear silently slides down her cheek, and I wrap my arms around her again. For a minute, I let her just cry it out. This must be really hard on her. She knows that she has a small chance of getting out of this. Still though, a small chance and a spark of hope is all a person needs in these Games. Finally, I bend down to her height and move her in front of me so that we are looking at each other.

"Listen to me, Allie. You can do this. Cato doesn't stand a chance against you. Remember, use the knives and bow as much as you can, and if you don't have those, go after anything that you know how to use. You've got this." I tell her, staring into her eyes. Alison nods after a moment, sniffling.

"I'll try to win, Dante." She replies, using the ends of her jacket to wipe her eyes.

"You won't try. You will win." I correct her.

"I will win."

"That's better. Now, go to training and don't forget to be funny in your interviews." She snickers, and I let her go. "Go on, you don't want to be late."

"Fine! Goodbye, Dante." She says, and without another word, she disappears around the corner we met at a few minutes ago. For some reason, her words slightly bother me. Goodbye means that she won't see me again, and that is the thing that I don't want to happen.

**Who didn't see that coming? I know, I didn't either. Anyway, was this chapter okay? Please let me know! Also, guys, I would just like to thank everyone for reading. It makes me happy to know that you guys like the story, and I hope that you enjoy chapters to come. Just wanted to say that :D *reason to be thankful on late Thanksgiving***

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

_**"Never regret something that once made you smile."**_

**-SopranoGhostWriter :)**


	13. The Inevitable Truth

**Hey my awesome readers! :D Finally, another update! Yay! No, it is not in Dante's POV, unfortunately, but you may/may not be surprised about the new training day. Just depends on the suspiscions you have. :) **

*Alison's POV*

The little meeting with Dante this morning keeps replaying through my head as I quickly get ready for today's day of training. The more I think about his words, the more I am psyching myself out for today. _Cato doesn't stand a chance against you. You won't try, you will win._ It makes me kind of nervous in a way, like the standards for me are set really high, but I can't reach them. Hurriedly, after I pull on the training uniform, I jog out to the living room and grab an apple from a bowl sitting on the dining table.

"Well, look who's finally up." Cato's voice laughs from behind me, but I don't even look at him. Ever since I got back inside the apartment, all I have been hearing from Hallie is how I should have told her where I was going before I left. She really has been getting on my nerves this morning with her nagging, and I am getting sick of it. Everything past that has just annoyed me, and it doesn't even matter if it's good or bad. Whenever I am in these kinds of moods, normally people who know me know that they should stay out of the way.

"You shut your mouth!" I yell, pointing in his direction but still not looking at him. "If you have heard anything Hallie has been saying to me this morning, you would know that I have been awake much longer than you have."

"Okay, just calm down."

"Oh, and don't disturb me while I am eating. That will just make me more annoyed." I tell him, taking a large bite of the apple.

"What's wrong?" he asks, his voice now sounding really concerned.

"Why do you even want to know?" I harshly spat, my eyes snapping over to him. His eyebrows are slightly furrowed. "Why don't you go say hi to Azalea and leave me alone!"  
"Are you jealous of Azalea or something?" he shoots back, returning my glare, and I have to think about my answer for a second. Am I really jealous of Azalea? Surely not. I mean, I'm not the one who is desperately in love with Cato. I'm the one who hates him with every inch of my soul. Somehow, I can't think of how that isn't getting through his thick skull.

"No! In fact, I am so happy that you two are so happy together! How come you don't seem happy about it?" I say. I know, though, that I am not expecting what he comes back with.

"What if I said that I'm not happy with it?" he quietly replies. My eyebrows rise a little. What is he supposed to mean by that? Is he saying that he isn't happy about marrying Azalea? There's no reason why he wouldn't be happy. She is beautiful, rich, sometimes generous and sometimes smart. Isn't that what he wants?

"What do you mean?" I choke out. He opens his mouth to reply, but then Jamie and Hallie step into the living room with excited looks on their faces. Normally, I wouldn't be surprised by this, but given this morning's whole atmosphere attitude, it seems abnormal. Maybe they took some kind of Capitol drugs.

"Okay, are you guys ready to go to the training center?" Hallie asks loudly, and her voice is slurred. Oh, how peachy. She's wasted.

"We're only taking one trip down there, so you had better be ready!" Jamie exclaims, and her voice sounds the same way. Really, can this morning get any worse? It seems like District 2 is becoming the alcoholic district, too.

"Yeah, sure." I confirm, tossing the nibbled-on apple into the empty trash can. After I make sure that the apple actually landed in the trash can, I head over to the door with Cato following me. Today is sure to be another interesting training day, that's for sure.

* * *

When the elevator doors open, the first thing I find is Primrose's cold glare being shot at me. I try to ignore her bright blue eyes shooting daggers at me as I walk over to the girl from District 4. I've never really met this girl before, and now would be the perfect time.

"Hey." I softly greet as I walk up behind her, and her innocent green eyes click to mine. She looks really young, like she could be about twelve. Her dark hair is tied up in a small ponytail, and nothing about her really seems violent. Nothing is ever as it seems, though. Instead of saying anything, she just curtly nods and stares at the little huddle of trainers in the corner of the room.

"Why are you over here? You should be hovering around the Careers." She shakily tells me, and I can tell that she just wants me to leave her alone.

"Yeah, and you should be, too. You're from District 4." I point out.

"I don't want to be in the Careers, though. Careers have only one thing in mind, and that is killing." Her voice sounds monotonous, kind of like a robot's. This can only mean one thing: she has been told this from someone else.

"Where did you hear that from?" I ask her, even though I already have an idea.

"Prim." She simply answers, nervously glancing at Primrose, who is still standing a few feet away. At least she isn't killing me with her eyes still.

"Well, she doesn't know the Careers. The only thing on my mind in these Games is getting back home to my little sister and my family. I really don't want to have to kill anyone." I inform her.

"The Careers are heartless, and they don't care about anything but themselves." She coldly shoots back, but I don't find this as a surprise. I have heard it all before from Primrose. "Now, please, could you go away?" Holding my hands up in defeat, I back away and turn around, only to bump into another tribute. Once I glance up, every nerve in my body goes haywire. This guy is the scariest in the Games this year, that's for sure. He is at least 6 and a half feet tall, definitely taller than Cato. His dark brown eyes glare down at me, and the urge to run pokes at me. Of course, this guy was chosen to be Primrose's district partner. Quickly, I scramble away from him and go over to an empty piece of the floor to stand on, and not long after I find that spot, Atala comes over to our group to give us instructions on how the day will go today. Finally, the little clumps begin to spread out, and without really thinking, I let myself head over to the hand-to-hand combat station. Which is the same station Primrose is at. When she looks behind her to get a glimpse of me, her face immediately twists into a look of disgust.

"It's the District 2 girl. Oh no, I am so scared." She sarcastically comments.

"That's right. You should be." I counter, and she just narrows her eyes at me for a second before glancing back at the station. The trainer starts to talk.

"Okay, as you know, this is the hand-to-hand combat station, and this is probably one of the most important things you should know for the Hunger Games. If there ever comes a time when another tribute decides to attack you with or without a weapon and you don't have a weapon to defend yourself with, this is the best thing to go with. That being said, would anyone like to volunteer to go first?" he explain, and of course, Primrose's hand shoots into the air.

"I would!" she squeals, and the trainer smiles at her.

"Okay. Is there anyone in particular that you want to train with?" he asks, and her finger immediately points at me. Now I am starting to wish that I didn't come over here. The trainer looks over at me and nods. "Excellent! Now, both of you come over here to the mat." Excitedly, Primrose grabs my wrist and yanks me past the whole line of tributes to the big, faded blue mat in the corner.

"Let's put your life-long training to the test, District 2." She mutters, smirking evilly before letting me go at one corner of the mat and walking over to the other.

"The first thing to always remember in any fist fight is to keep your thumb out of your fist." The trainer explains, demonstrating what a proper fist is supposed to look like. "That way, there is a less chance of you breaking your thumb almost instantly. Next, never turn your back on your enemy. That's possibly the worst thing you could do in these Games. Always face your opponent." For about five more minutes, he explains the basics, and Primrose looks like she could fall down and just sleep. That is until he tells us to put his rules to work and actually fight. Then, her eyes light up and a cruel smirk crosses her face as she gets into the formation of fighting. Reluctantly, I do the same, and when the trainer blows a whistle, she immediately charges at me with more rage than I thought I thirteen year old could contain. Unfortunately, I slip out of my focus zone at the wrong second, and she is able to land a punch to the jaw. Pain shoots through my face, but I manage to stay upright. I do feel a little wobbly, though. Stars cloud my vision for a second, but I shake my head and focus again. Even the slight taste of blood doesn't throw me off like it usually would. This time, when she tries to land a punch in the stomach, I back up and kick up my foot so that it kicks her in the stomach. With a sharp intake of air, she falls to the ground. Hm... I thought she would be tougher than that. I glance up at the trainer for any signal to let me leave, and instead, he nods approvingly at me.

"Good job, Miss Smith." He says, grinning proudly. Just to satisfy his happiness, I flash a small smile at him. Out of pure arrogance, however, I break a big rule of the trainer's: I turn my back on Primrose. As I start to walk away, a foot trips me, and my face collides with the stiff mat. As quickly as I possibly can, I push myself up and try not to let it faze me as I turn around to look at Primrose. Her face is slightly red from the anger she must have felt when I kicked her. I notice something now more noticeable in her eyes: unfathomable rage. Something has snapped inside of her, and I am now her person of interest. I am the one she is going to aim for first in the Games. Out of nowhere, she unexpectedly tackles me to the ground and starts landing punches left and right. Each punch gets more painful, and right as I feel a little dribble of probably blood slipping out of the corner of my mouth, she is pulled off of me by the trainer, and I am pulled away by somebody else.

"Are you okay?" Cato worriedly asks in my ear, and I nod, now wanting to slap her so hard she sees as many stars as I did.

"Yeah, but you had better hold me back." I warn him, and just as I predicted, my body lunges at her without my mind's permission. Cato doesn't let my arms go, though, so I stand still.

"Did you want to know what I meant by what I said earlier?" he quietly inquires, and I take a minute to recollect the conversation from this morning. Quickly, I nod. "Well, I meant that I don't want Azalea. There is another girl that I love, and I think you know who that girl is." Just those words make my heart stop. "Now, sit down. You need to stay still for a few minutes." Then, he leads me over to a wall that is close to where his station is, and I sit on the floor with my back against it. During the five minute session I give myself to calm down and let myself heal, I think about the information I have gathered in just the few hours of this morning. First, I know that the District 4 girl (and possibly the boy) is being brainwashed by Primrose into thinking that all Careers are sick, heartless machines. Don't get me wrong, some are, but not me. Second, my death is on the bucket list of Primrose. She made that pretty clear when she was beating me senseless. Lastly, Cato is not in love with Azalea. In fact, he is in love with another girl, and he is right about me knowing who it is. Ever since that night on the train, I have known that the girl Cato has loved all along is the one and only Alison Smith of District 2.

**Oooooooooh! What do you think about this? Hmm? Good? 'meh'? Please let me know what you think! :) JUST RANDOM SHARING DAY: So, in my consumer science (home economics) class, we have to crochet little chains, and I think I am actually getting pretty good at it, but whenever I make a little loop with the yarn, I never count it (and I have to count it) so then I have to start over again. *crocheter problem***

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

**_"Maybe it's hard to forgive, but to trust again is the hardest."_**

**-SopranoGhostWriter :)**


	14. Meetings, Greetings, and One Risky Deal

**Sorry for not updating in so long, my beautiful readers! With the finals coming up, and the STUPID HARD CROCHETING (even though I am getting much better at it), and the homework… I just haven't had enough time to write a new chapter. Please forgive me. Anyway, sorry it's a little too short, but it has some useful info for later on in the future! Enjoy the new chapter! :)**

The next morning, I find myself waking up earlier than normal. Tonight is the interviews, which means that tomorrow is the big day. Ha ha, the big day of death. Every day since I turned 12, I have always wondered about what the Hunger Games are like. Everything that I have seen is brutal and gory, but everything I have heard is that it is "exhilarating" and "easy". How could killing a bunch of innocent kids seem easy? Well, to Primrose, it could be easy. In her sick mind, she might think that it's actually _fun_.

Slowly, I slide out of the crumpled sheets and saunter over to the bathroom. Just like every morning living in this apartment, my hair is a big, tangled mess. I take my time brushing my hair, humming another song that I learned from my music teacher. I can't remember who it was that sang the song or what it is called, but it's really pretty. Maybe it was called 'Little Things' or something like that… I don't know. Finally, after my dark blonde hair is presentable enough, I drop the brush back onto the counter, and it lands with a _clack_. Once I walk out of the bathroom, the first thing that I see in my room is a person picking up a half-full glass of water from the side of my bed. This sight confuses me. Do I sleep-drink? Well, you learn something new every day. The person's head quickly glances over their shoulder at me, and the first thing I notice is the person's amber eyes. They are so full of sorrow and confusion and just plain misery that I have to glance at the water for a second before looking back. Gradually, I study the rest of their face, and I realize that this is an Avox. How is this the first time I have seen an Avox here? The Avox's lips curl into a respectful smile, and I send the same smile back. No reason to be rude towards an Avox. Then, they purse their lips again and dash out of the doorway. Well, it seems that I am not the only one awake.

(A few minutes later)

_You don't have to eat any more than one bite, just take one more bite. _My brain tries to coax my mouth to take another bite of the apple I'm currently eating, but I just don't feel hungry right now. It seems like I would be hungry after about 12 hours of not eating, right? Wrong. Sighing, I stare in disgust at the perfectly red apple sitting in the middle of my palm. Normally, I love apples. In fact, it's one of the only things that I will eat. I don't see why I don't want it now. Aiming for the trash can a few feet away from the couch that I'm sitting on, I throw the apple, and miraculously enough, it actually lands inside. A small smile of victory crosses my face, and I nod to the imaginary crowd. _Yeah, I just did that. No need for congratulations, but it was pretty spectacular._ A knocking on the door interrupts my little victory moment, and I reluctantly stand up to get it.

"Hello?" I tiredly ask, pulling the door open, and I am surprised by who I find at the door: Finnick Odair, one of District 4's mentors. I'm surprised to see him actually standing here in front of me. Why would District 4's mentor be at District 2's apartment? I can tell that he is just as tired as me: his sea green eyes are halfway closed.

"Hello." Finnick responds, yawning right after he says it. If he's this tired, he shouldn't be randomly exploring the apartments. An awkward silence passes for a minute.

"Can I help you with something?" I inquire, trying to fill the silence.

"Oh, yes, sorry." He replies, standing a little straighter. "Me and the other mentor, Mags, have noticed that you don't seem very comfortable teaming up with the Careers, and you haven't seemed to be particularly wanting to talk to District 12 about having an alliance. So, we came up with a great idea, and we were wondering if you would like to be a part of the District 4 alliance." I am stunned to hear those words come out of his mouth. The only time that I've ever talked to the girl was when she was dissing me in front of Primrose, and I've never even talked to the boy. Scratch that: I've never really even seen him.

"Well, I don't know your tributes that well." I argue, leaning against the doorframe.

"That doesn't matter. I know that my tributes would never betray someone in their alliance. These two are good kids. And, even though they're only 12, they're skilled. They know how to use every weapon there is to know about. Trust me, it would be a good strategic decision." He tries to persuade me. I don't know, though. I don't trust the girl if she has been brainwashed by Primrose.

"Um… sure, whatever." I answer, and a grin crosses his face. "But, I have to know something first."

"Yeah, name it!" he exclaims excitedly. Wow, I feel really special right now. At least he thinks that I would be a good addition to his team.

"Has the girl been kind of… brainwashed by Primrose?" I hesitantly ask, and a grimace replaces the smile.

"Um, it kind of looks like that, doesn't it?" Finnick nervously laughs, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He must think so too. "Eliza has always been a timid little girl. She doesn't really like to make her own decisions about things. Ever since they met, Prim has been luring Eliza into a little trap. Then, when the time is finally right, she and the boy she came with are going to kill her. I know about those kinds of traps." Eliza must be the girl. "However, though, I have seen her talking more and more to Genevieve, the girl from District 1. Maybe Lizzie will change her mind about who she trusts."

"Maybe." I add, not really knowing what else to say. I've just been asked by the famous Finnick Odair to join his alliance, and I barely know the tributes he is training. Well, why not join the alliance. I'm probably going to die anyway, so I might as well die on an alliance that I specifically was asked to be in. "Yeah, I'll join your alliance."

"Okay. Perfect! Now, all we need to do is talk to your mentor." Finnick suggests, but I shake my head.

"You might not want to right now. If you wake Hallie up while she is sleeping, there's no doubt in my mind that she will try to murder you." I warn him, and he lets out a relaxed laugh.

"I'll come later then." He says, and with that, he turns around and heads back down the hallway to the elevator. Quietly, I close the door and jump onto the couch. What did I just agree to? When Hallie finds out that I made a deal with another District without her, she is going to be very, very upset for a very, very long time. Just my luck. My thoughts slowly start slipping away as my eyes droop closed and I finally slip back into sleep.

**So… what do you think? Is Alison making the right choice, or is she just putting herself into a trap? Let me know what you think! Also, during the few minutes I have had this whole week to think of what this chapter was going to be about, I found 3 new favorite songs: Hard to Love by Lee Brice, Believe by Justin Bieber, and Summer Love by One Direction. Yep, I'm not very picky when it comes to music. Anyways, as always, review! :) *also, wish me luck on my finals! :)* *also, I would just like to offer my condolences to the families who lost children and children who lost their best friends during the Connecticut shootings. Much respect and love for you all, if you are reading this***

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

**_"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."_**

**-SopranoGhostWriter :)**


	15. Erasing The Past

**Hello! Guys, this is probably one of the longest chapters in this story! :D I'M EXCITED! Just let me tell you, some twists and turns will come in this chapter *mainly one* so enjoy! :)**

INTERVIEW NIGHT

"Hello, citizens of Panem!" Caesar Flickerman's flamboyant voice rings through the auditorium-type room, and the shouts and cheers of the Capitol attendees reply back. My heart is beating a mile a minute. In just a matter of about fifteen minutes, I have to go up onto that very stage and talk in front of thousands of people. The air in my backstage room is filled with anxiousness. Well, mostly mine.

"Oh sweetie, you look gorgeous!" Petunia squeaks, standing up and walking behind me. I take a long glance in the full-length mirror at myself. My royal blue, strapless dress falls all the way to my feet, and the diamonds implanted here and there on it glint in the light coming from the ceiling. The silver high heels I'm wearing barely peek out of the bottom of the dress. Most of my hair is curled and put up behind my head, and the rest is used for a braid that runs along my hairline on the front of my head. I have to say, Petunia and the prep team did a fantastic job coming up with my interview outfit.

"Thanks." I mumble, looking over at Petunia. "I'm really nervous."

"Oh, don't be, Alison. Just remember that Stevie, the twins, and I will be there, and just pretend that you are still in practice. Don't stutter or stammer, though, because that will not look good for you. Now, remember everything else Jamie and Hallie told you to do, okay?" she explains, forcing a reassuring smile onto her face. I know that she is more nervous than I am in the inside, though.

"I'll try to." I sigh.

"Everything will be just fine. You take one breath on that stage, and the Capitol will be under your spell already. You are the sweetheart of the Games. Everyone loves you. Just be yourself, and you won't have to worry about one thing." She says. If only it was that simple. Everyone has an enemy. There is always that one person who hates even the most likeable person. For me, that is most definitely Prim. She pats me on the shoulder. "Come on, you have an interview to get to." Oh no, this is it. It's time for the interviews. Slowly, I let out a shaky breath and follow Petunia out the door and to the line of tributes waiting for their interviews. As I walk past Prim, she gives me a dirty look and nudges the male District 12 tribute, who gives me a death glare. I've always been scared of the male tribute. Goosebumps instantly cross my skin, and I glance away to in front of me. I notice the rest of the Careers at the front of the line, and each of them is giving me different looks. Jim is giving me a seductive look (which scares me on a number of levels), Teagan –the District 1 female- is giving me an intimidating look, and Cato is just giving me a blank look. I can't really tell what he is thinking. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Eliza and the District 4 boy (who looks very similar to Eliza) whispering to each other while staring at me. I finally get to my place in line, and it stays silent for a minute before Teagan starts talking.

"Hey look, Smitherson finally got here." Teagan scoffs, rolling her eyes. The first thing that I notice about her dress is how skin-tight the top of it is. It's light purple and strapless, and little sequins are implanted in a zigzag pattern along the torso part. The bottom of it is just… I don't know how to describe it. Poofy, almost.

"Uh, it's Smith." I correct her, but I know she doesn't care.

"Does it look like I care?" she shoots back, glaring at me with her hazel eyes.

"Leave her alone, Teagan." Cato warns, and Teagan immediately shoots him a nervous look. What? I'm not understanding this. "You know what I said." She doesn't hesitate to nod and turn back around. I look up at Cato for an explanation.

"What did you say?" I ask him.

"Nothing for you to be concerned about." He responds without looking at me. Furrowing my eyebrows, I look down at the ground again. Just… what? Before I know it, Caesar is already done with his little speech.

"Now, let's see if this girl really does give a sense of happiness. Please welcome the lovely Teagan!" Caesar exclaims into the microphone, and with a quick smirk at me, Teagan heads onto the stage. Her angle is probably to lure people in with her looks, just like Glimmer from last year. The bottom of her dress drags along the floor as she struts across the stage to meet with Caesar. Ha, Teagan gives off a sense of happiness? If anything, she gives off a sense of superiority. Nothing close to happiness. Once she sits in the interview chair and the crowd has calmed down from all of their clapping, Caesar immediately starts to ask questions. "So, Teagan, we saw your little volunteering speech, and we were wondering, is it true that you are Glimmer's sister?"

"Yes, I am Glimmer's younger sister. Only by a year, though." She says, smiling at the crowd and then at Caesar. Even he seems a little overwhelmed by her beauty.

"Well, that explains that." He replies. He asks her a few more questions about her life back home, how the Capitol is, if she thinks she is going to win, and of course, she replies with a big smile on her face. Finally, her interview ends, Caesar wishes her good luck, and she heads off stage. Jim's interview passes as quickly as Teagan's, and honestly, he seems really smart. He seems like a guy who could make his way around the Games. Now, of course, is my interview. Shakily, I walk up the stairs and wait for Caesar to call me up.

"Now, there has been much talk about this remarkable young lady here. She has survived attacks from one of her mentors, and she somehow manages to earn a score of 11. To all of us here in the Capitol, she is known as the Girl of Stone, but to her friends and family, she is Alison Smith!" Caesar calls, and instantly, my feet are dragging me out across the stage. The lights are blinding, and the clapping is so loud. I am actually starting to feel really nauseas. Caesar meets me by the chairs, and he shakes my hand before we both sit down. I can still smell Jim's cologne on the chair. The clapping dies down, and Caesar starts talking. "So, Alison, first we want to ask you about your injuries. Are you doing better?"

"Um, yeah, I'm doing a lot better. It's almost as though it never happened." I inform him, and then, it finally dawns on me. Everyone is watching this. _Everyone _is watching this. My sister, my parents, Dante, Faye, everyone. Murmurs of relief come from the crowd.

"Well, that's good. Now, everyone has been wondering: how did you manage to get an eleven in your individual session? That left everyone speechless. Just… wow. Amazing. I, personally, was shocked." Caesar rambles on.

"I can't tell that. It's a secret!" I laugh, and he mock-frowns.

"Please? For a friend?" he pleads, and I shake my head. "Oh well, worth a try. Now, speaking of your events in the Capitol, how do you find it here? Is it much different from home?"

"Yes, it actually is much different."

"Well, will you give us an example?"

"Um…" I start, looking at the ceiling for a second. I have to think about this. Suddenly, I get an idea. "The people are different."

"Oh? The people are different? How?" he asks.

"The people living here in the Capitol have a more… extravagant taste in fashion, than us back in District 2." I reply. That earns a lot of laughs from the audience. Probably because they know that it's true.

"That seems pretty accurate." Caesar agrees, nodding. Now, his expression turns serious. "Let's talk about when you were reaped. I believe that your sister ran out from the crowd to get you when your name was called."

"Yes, she did." I respond.

"How did you feel about that? Apparently, she loved you enough to be upset about it." It feels as though he is just pressing me for answers. It gets quite annoying.

"I was a little shocked that she ran out."

"I think we all were quite shocked. Do you agree?" he asks the crowd, and they start cheering uncontrollably. It lasts for a minute, but soon dies down. "Did her doing that inspire you to win this?"

"Of course it does." I answer. "I love my sister and my family a lot, and I will do anything to be able to get back to them." A few members of the crowd clap, and the others start 'aw'ing.

"Hopefully, you are able to do that, Alison." Caesar murmurs, and with that, he turns to the audience and stands up, pulling me up with him. "Everyone, the Girl of Stone, Alison!" He raises my hand into the air, and everyone starts going insane with their happiness. I spot my whole team sitting in the crowd and grinning up at me. Petunia starts clapping, too, letting me know that I did okay. We stand there for a few seconds, and then he lets me go off of the stage.

* * *

(Later that night)

The rooftop is probably the best place to think about things. That's why I'm up here right now, contemplating what just happened tonight. Well, the main thing is that I was able to get through my interview without throwing up afterwards. That's pretty good. Also, Cato has bothered me at all, so that adds on even more. Yep, it's been an okay night all together. I lean my head over the railing a little bit, letting the breeze catch onto my hair. I'm probably going to spend most of the night up here. I'm not going to be able to sleep.

"Allie?" a familiar voice calls, and when I turn around, I find someone who I was expecting: Cato.

"Yes?" I sigh, crossing my arms and watching him walk towards me.

"Just wanted to make sure it was you." He replies, walking over to the side of me and leaning of the railing. He just looks at me for a minute before looking out at the city. Is there a reason that he came up here, or is it just because he wanted to see me before the Games?

"Is there a certain reason you came up here, or…" I trail off, staring at him for his reaction.

"Yes, there is." He hurriedly says, and he looks over at me. "Um, I just need to talk to you about something."

"Well, talk."

"Remember what we were talking about a couple days ago, when I said that I was in love with someone else and not Azalea?" Oh dear lord, I know where this is going. I nod, telling him to continue. "Well, I just want to flat out tell you… that it's you. You are the one that I love, and no matter how many times you push me away, I will always come right back."

"Cato, I already know that. It was kind of obvious when you kissed me on the train." I point out.

"I know. I want you to know that even if you don't want to me to love you, that's not going to happen. I'm not stopping any time soon. I don't know what I did to make you hate me so much, but I don't care. I'm sorry, okay? I'm so sorry for whatever I did. Everything was my fault, and I don't want you to be mad anymore. Please, just take me back. I love you, okay? Even if you don't feel the same, I love you. Everything about you is amazing, and there's nothing I can really point out or explain. I had to let you know though." Did he just say all of that? I mean, I knew that he was in love with me, but not enough to push his ego aside and say sorry for all of the months of picking on me and bullying me when I thought we were friends. He doesn't know that he did all of that, though. I don't know whether or not to forgive him.

"Cato, I don't know-"

"I know that you probably won't forgive me, but you had to know sometime." He finishes. We don't talk for a couple minutes after that, we just stand there and lean against the railing. Do I forgive him? What do I do? I… I… I really don't know. He just wants me to forgive him, even though he knows that I will most likely never love him like he loves me. Should I? Before I can decide, he glances over at me with his sad blue eyes. Those eyes finally help me decide. "You're probably not going to say anything to me, so I'm going to kiss you, and if you push me away, then I know that you don't forgive me. But, if you kiss back, then I will know that I am forgiven." With that, he slowly leans down and presses his lips on mine.

And I kiss him back.

**I'll just leave you with that cliffhanger... As always, review! :) **

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

_**"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen of even touched. They must be felt with the heart." -**_**Helen Keller**

**-SopranoGhostWriter :)**


	16. The Beginning of a New Day

**Hi again. I FINALLY got the chapter done (partying). I hope you haven't forgot about me! I haven't forgot about you! To be completely honest, though, I don't know when exactly I'll be getting a chapter done. I mean, I still going to be working as hard as I can on this, but I have a lot of stuff going on (as you can probably tell). But this story will NOT end without an ending! That, my readers, is a promise. Now, enough of my babbling on and on; enjoy this chapter!**

The clack of my own footsteps rings through the nearly empty hallway, along with the two Peacekeepers' footsteps behind me. My heart is beating as fast as the speed of light, and it's not going to stop anytime soon. Today is the day the Games begin. Today is the day I could possibly die. It hasn't really got through to me yet, but I know it will sometime. I feel like the gray walls are closing me in, and I'm suffocating. The fact that my whole family back home is counting on me to win this doesn't help either. My hands are shaking, my thoughts are scattered, and the only way I'm breathing is by shaky, shallow breaths. All I can hope for is that I can survive today. Once the Peacekeepers and I approach the door to my launch room, one of them forcefully turns the handle of the door and pushes me inside, shutting the door once I'm in. Slowly, I let my eyes dance around the small, brightly-lit gray room. All that is in here is a small gray table with a light, black coat. Well, that's not very helpful at all. Hopefully it'll have a hood at least. I tiptoe around to the other side of the table and find that of course, there is no hood on the jacket. Great. Sighing, I run my hands through my hair a few times. What am I going to do? Ever since last night on the roof, I just… I haven't been thinking clearly. I can't think a single thought without going back to what happened. I guess I have forgiven him. I'm not sure I knew what I was getting myself into. Now, he's going to be trying _something _in the Games, but I have no idea of what that could be. If I die, though, what will happen? Well, I know one thing: Dante will miss me. Or, at least I hope he would. He has always been like my big brother. Then, there's Eileen. She's told me a million times before that if I went to the Hunger Games and died, she would never be able to live on.

"That's not true." I would always reply, smiling down at her with a sad smile. "You would be able to live without me." Then, she would always shake her head and walk away without another word. I don't know how anyone else would react to my death. It's a tossup.

"Alison?" Petunia calls, and I almost jump a foot in the air at the sound of her voice. Quickly turning on my heel, I notice my Petunia walking through the door with a sad look on her face. Her fuchsia eyes just burn holes into my skin as she closes the door and walks over to me, stopping about five inches in front of me. "Are you okay, Allie?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I squeak out. My nerves are starting to get the best of me. Petunia sighs and holds out her arms, and I walk into them. Surprisingly, I'm not crying, but I am shaking. A lot. After a couple minutes of silence, Petunia lets me go.

"Alison, you need to listen to me, okay? You can win. You can get out of this alive. Don't go into these Games thinking that you can't win, because that will get you killed in the bloodbath. Hallie is going to try to get any sponsors that she can for you. You have to be determined, though. Remember all of the things that you learned back home and in training. Since you are a Career, the non-Career tributes will most likely not want to be around you, so go for whatever weapon you are good with. Most important thing, though, is to be careful. Don't let any pride go to your head." she instructs me, and I nod. None of this information is really helping me at all.

"_Launch in twenty seconds._" A voice over the intercom announces. Petunia's eyes widen a little, and she hurriedly runs over to the table behind me.

"Hold your arms out." She commands, and I obey. Suddenly, I feel a soft material being pulled over my arms and my shoulders. The jacket. I automatically feel a lot warmer. Then, she forcefully turns me around by my shoulders. Looking me over quickly, she gives a curt nod and shoves me towards the launch tube. Once I get there, she gives me one more hug.

"_Launch in ten seconds._" The voice announces again. Slowly, she lets me go and once she is finished wiping her eyes, she shoves me inside the tube. Immediately once I'm inside, the door of the tube shuts, blocking out any sound that I could possibly hear. My heart starts racing. This is it. This is real. I could die. Feverishly, I look around the tube and start punching at the walls, looking for a way to get out. I can't do this. There's no way I'm going to win. I am not going to get out alive. Looking out of the tube at Petunia, I notice the grief in her eyes.

"Petunia! Help me!" I shout, and by the way she hurriedly turns around, I know that she knows what I just yelled. As I watch her pull open the door and scurry out, a tear trickles down my cheek. There's no way to escape. I am trapped, and when I get to the surface, I either kill or be killed. For no reason, I keep beating against the wall. A little voice in my head keeps whispering, _Just a few more punches. Just keep fighting the wall. You can get through._ I can feel my knuckles starting to bruise, and a little whimper escapes my lips. Another voice whispers, _Stop it. You are acting like a fool. Save your energy for the Games. _Sighing, I stop. There's no reason to waste my energy on something that I can't fight. After another second, I feel myself start to rise up. Rubbing the back of my hand, I look up at the roof. I can't see anything until the roof of the tube slides open. Immediately, a raindrop drops from the gray overcast clouds and right into my eye, and I stifle a yelp of pain. It hurts more than I thought it would. Quickly, I rub my eye and glance down to look at the space of the Hunger Games. The green grass is already soaked with an apparently heavy amount of rain. The rain is coming down so hard that I can barely see anything. Off in the distance, I can see a vague clump of trees. There must be something there that the Gamemakers want us to find. My heart starts beating even faster than before when I notice that Jim is on the pedestal on my left. Once he notices that I'm looking at him, he slyly grins at me and winks. Mental note: run in the other direction. But, as I look at the person who is on my right, I change my mind: it's Cato. His jaw is clenched, his blond hair is ruffled, and his blue eyes have a hint of craziness in them. Which way do I choose to run in though: Cato's or Jim's? On the other side of Cato, Eliza is frantically glancing around, every now and then stealing a look at Cato. Looking over at the other side of Jim, I see the other District 4 boy with a determined look in his eye as he stares at the Cornucopia. He looks kind of similar to Eliza…. I shake the thought out of my head and stare into the Cornucopia. There are a lot of supplies in there that could be useful to me. Of course, there in a muddy patch in front of the Cornucopia sits a bow and an arrow sheath. The Gamemakers must have put them there just to tempt me. I'm not one to fall for tricks like that, though. _Alright, Alison, all you have to do is grab a backpack and run towards the clump of trees. The rest you can decide later. _As the clock counts down to the beginning of the Games, I quickly scan the rest of the pedestals for an assurance of where Prim is, and sure enough, she has her eyes trained on me. Every now and then, I find her glancing at a knife set close to her pedestal. Whoopee, she's out to kill me.

_10, 9, 8._

Taking one last scan of the competitors, I breathe out and remember what I have to do: meet up with Eliza and her district partner. _Oh, add that to the part about running into the clump of trees._

_7, 6, 5._

If I don't make it out alive, I hope my family can make it by without me. I hope Eileen will be able to live as normal as possible. I hope my parents can just move on and try to forget about these Games. I want to go out with dignity.

_4, 3, 2._

Here we go.

_1._

**Ooh, right at the part of most suspense!** **What do you think will happen next? And, as always, let me know what you think! **

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

_**"Dreams are like stars: you may never touch them, but if you follow them, they will lead you to your destiny."**_

**-SopranoGhostWriter :)**


	17. Making New Friends

**So, hello! Wow, it has been so long since I have updated, and I am so very sorry. But, now that school is finally out, I can focus on what is important: updating this story and Colorguard. Yes, you heard right. Flag-twirling is now a part of my life! Also, I've been reading a PERFECT story called ****The Host**** (written by Stephenie Meyer, and even if you aren't a fan of her ****Twilight**** series, you would definitely enjoy ****The Host****). I'm excited! BUT, I'm even more excited to introduce you all to a new character in the story that is sure to play a part later on! Enjoy the chapter!**

Immediately, once the horn sounds, the tributes are off of their pedestals and running in every direction. It has officially begun. Taking in a quick breath, I take a step off of my pedestal and frantically glance around the area. The lifeless body of the District 3 boy has already flopped onto the muddy ground, his clothes soaked and a knife in his back. Also, I notice that the District 8 girl (who is injured) is trying to crawl away from Prim, who has a smirk on her face and a sharp knife in her hand. I watch as Prim makes her way over to the injured 16-year-old girl and throws her knife straight into the girl's spine. The girl stops moving instantly. Suddenly, Prim looks up from her victim and meets eyes with me. I can see the evil and the anger in her eyes, and she probably sees the fear and anxiousness in mine. We stay like that for a minute before she leans down and pulls the knife from the spine of the dead girl, but before she can look back up at me, I'm already running away. _You need to get a backpack before you run for shelter,_ I hear my father's voice in my mind. As my feet pound on the muddy grass, I scan the ground for a backpack and find a green one splattered with dirt sitting about a meter away. Just as soon as I am about to reach out and grab the backpack, I find myself being tackled onto the ground. Adrenaline immediately starts to kick in, and I let out a scream as I hit the ground. The impact knocks the wind out of me. Looking up at my attacker, I'm not at all surprised: it's Prim.

"Where did you think you were going?" Prim laughs, smirking. I don't respond; instead, I just glare at her. Quickly, she unwraps her fingers from my right hand and slaps me across the face, over and over again. Every time it happens, my face slams into the muddy ground. Finally, she stops and reaches for her belt, where I notice that she has stored her newly-found knives. If she still has her hand off of my wrist, that means… _This is my chance!_ Without another thought, I swing my free hand through the air and into Prim's cheek. She gasps and tumbles off of me. _Run! Now! _On instinct, I gather up my backpack and stumble to my feet. Backing away, I stare as Prim writhes around on the ground in pain. I'm surprised that I hit her that hard. Did I really do that? I don't give myself enough time to think about it; I turn on my heel and speed off in the opposite direction.

"Where is District 4?" I mutter to myself as I stop to scan the area again. They don't seem to be anywhere. I jog a little bit more around the open space, making sure not to involve myself in any of the action going on closer to the Cornucopia. Finally, I see the two District 4 tributes running out from the other side of the Cornucopia, heading towards the small forest. Hurriedly, I start dashing after the two twelve-year-olds. It takes a lot to get to them, but once I catch up, they stop and turn to look at me.

"Why are you following us?" Eliza shakily asks, giving me a suspicious look. Does she know about the deal I made with her mentor?

"Finnick asked me to be in your alliance…? Did he tell you?" I reply. The boy slowly nods and wraps his arm around Eliza's shoulders, glancing over at her as he does.

"Yeah, he told us." He answers, not looking at me. "Remember, Eliza? Finnick said that we were going to have another girl with us during the Games, and this is her."

"But I don't like her!" she squeals, and the boy shushes her.

"Calm down. She's not going to hurt you."

"She's mean!"

"Lizzie, you can't believe everything that Prim says." The boy finally states, and Eliza closes her mouth. At least he doesn't hang out with that little devil from 12. Then, his eyes make their way over to me. "What was your name again? I know you're from District 2."

"Alison." I tell him.

"I'm Jonah." He boldly says, sticking his free hand towards me. I do the same, and we shake hands. This is probably the beginning of a pretty strong alliance. Once he lets go of my hand, he takes his arm back from Eliza and starts running towards the trees again. Eliza suddenly realizes he's leaving and she immediately follows him. "Come on, 2! We have things we need to do!" Inhaling a breath, I start racing after them.

"So, Alison, what was life like in District 2?" Jonah inquires, dragging Eliza by the hand with me following them close behind. So far, we've managed to run to the forest without getting into any fights with the other tributes. Now, we're onto our next task: finding somewhere to rest where we can look through our backpacks. It'll be difficult, considering that everything around us is completely drenched and we can barely see seven feet in front of us.

"Well, I live in a really small part of District 2, so I'm not anywhere near a city. I have to work at my father's training facility sometimes. I'm just… normal. Life wasn't very eventful." I attempt to explain. If only he knew about Cato and I's short-term friendship. "What about District 4?"

"Eliza and I live in one of the major towns in District 4. We are the messengers of the town. Basically, it's just delivering mail to the people. Not a fun job." He chuckles after the last sentence. "It did have its days, though." A small silence falls before Jonah asks the next question. "Did you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I have a sister. Her name is Eileen. At least she's not old enough to be in the Reaping." I quietly inform him, stepping over a fallen tree. It's hard not being able to see Eileen. Even if we hated each other some days, we would always forgive each other and be fine again.

"Is that the girl who ran to you when you were reaped?"

"Yeah. Do you have any siblings?" That question makes him stop in his tracks. I stop walking.

"Well, sadly enough," he starts, sighing, "Eliza here is my sister."

"Twin sister." I hear Eliza grumble on the other side of Jonah. My eyes widen a little. They're twins? Well, that would explain their strangely alike features, but… wow. I can't even imagine how hard it must be to be siblings and still have to go into the Games with each other. It must be horrible, knowing that your sibling could die at any time, and you couldn't do a thing about it.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry." I murmur, looking over at them.

"It's hard, that's for sure." He sadly replies, glancing over at Eliza. "I can't imagine life without my sister. I would probably do the other tributes a favor and just kill myself if I lost her."

"Which is why he has to watch over me, so that I don't get killed." Eliza adds on, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Exactly." He whispers, looking at the ground. After that, silence remains in the air. It's not the best time to talk now. Soon, we manage to find a place to rest: under a tree with long, drooping leaves that almost touch the ground. Sitting on a large rock, I unzip my backpack and rummage through the items inside.

"What do you have, Alison?" Eliza pipes up. I blow out a breath of air.

"It's not much." I say, disappointed. The first thing I pull out is a water bottle. Of course, there's no water in it. I lay it on the ground next to me and pull out the next item: a rope. Sighing, I get the rest of the stuff out of the bag: a little box of matches, a knife (thankfully), a small can of apple slices, a compass, and a flashlight. Eliza and Jonah – who are sitting on a rock opposite of me – both scan over the things I pulled out of my bag. Then, they start going through their bags.

"I have rubbing alcohol, flares, five granola bars, and tweezers." Eliza mumbles. Jonah pulls a tiny bottle filled with some sort of liquid out of his bag, takes the lid off, and sniffs it.

"Yeah, that's definitely chlorine." He whispers to himself, placing the lid back on and putting the bottle on the ground. Then, he goes back to searching through his bag. "More matches, scissors, an empty water bottle, and a bag of walnuts."

"So basically, we only have a few things that are useful?" I mutter.

"All of it is useful, but not in most situations." He utters, more calm than I feel. At least we all have food, but the problem is that we don't have any water. And, even if we could find a water source, the Careers will have probably already made some kind of post there. It's kind of funny to think that I'm technically in the Careers.

"What should we do with all of our things, then?" Eliza wonders out loud.

"I think we should sort it all into separate bags." Jonah suggests. "That way, if we need to get something, then we'll know which bag to look in."

"But what if something happens to one of us? Everything we have, like you said, is vital to our survival. We'll each be carrying a bag, so if one of us gets lost and or killed, then we'll have lost something that could have kept us alive." I argue. He nods after a minute.

"That's true." He replies. "Let's just keep what we have now in our bags." We all load the newly-found items back into our bags.

"Maybe we should go ahead and get a camp started. I'm completely soaked." Eliza says.

"Good idea, Lizzie." Jonah responds, patting Eliza on the back while standing up. "Allie, can you pass me the rope?" I've already got a nickname?

"Yeah, sure." I answer, pulling the rope out of my bag and tossing it over to him.

"Okay, so what I've got planned is that I can tie some of those giant leaves together and stick them under the two rocks that we're sitting on so that they don't pop back up." He explains, already grabbing some of the leaves. He speedily pulls them together and ties the tips. "Now, Allie, Eliza, I need you both to lift up the rocks. Allie, you can take the one you're sitting on, and Lizzie can take ours."

"But it's going to be too heavy!" Eliza whines.

"Oh, you're such a pansy!" Jonah laughs. "Okay, Allie, can you get your rock?"

"Yeah." I sigh as I get up and easily lift up the side of the rock. Wait, how is that rock so light? It can't be Styrofoam, because it's rarely ever used anymore and it would just be plain cheap to make rocks out of it. Still, though, there's something weird about it. He slides one edge of the mass of leaves under the rock, and once he does, I drop the side. There's one side down.

"Lizzie, I need you to get the rock now." Jonah tells her.

"It's going to be too heavy!" she repeats.

"Eliza, it's not heavy at all." I inform her.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because I just pulled up this rock, and it barely weighed anything." She gives it a thought before pouting and getting up to do it. The same process happens again, and voila! Our camp has formed. Oddly enough, it rapidly starts to darken outside, but the rain doesn't let up at all.

"Should we make a fire?" Eliza finally asks.

"No. It would tell the other tributes where we are." Jonah says.

"But I'm cold!" Eliza complains. If I have to deal with this throughout the whole Games, I'm going to be mad.

"I think you can survive." Jonah groans. I think for a minute before unzipping my jacket and holding it out to where Eliza's voice was coming from.

"Here, Eliza. You can have my jacket." I offer, a shiver running down my spine. She's right; it's really cold.

"Aren't you cold, though?" she whispers.

"No. Just take it." I lie. It's really cold. It's freezing. If we hadn't pulled the leaves over ourselves and the rain had kept coming in, I probably would have got hypothermia. Unsurely, she takes the jacket out of my hands.

"Thanks." She mutters, and I hear her rolling over.

"You're welcome."

**So, do you love Jonah, or do you not love Jonah? And, are you surprised that Eliza and Jonah are twins? Well, that's kind of a trick question, just ignore that. Thank you guys for being faithful readers! As always, review! :)**

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

_**"It's not the face, but the expressions on it. It's not the voice, but what you say. It's not how you look in that body, but the things you do with it. YOU are beautiful."**_** - Ian O'Shea, a character in the book ****The Host**

**-SopranoGhostWriter :)**


	18. Protecting and Deal-Making

**Hello! Wow, I think that's one of the quickest updates I've made so far. So, I made a bet with myself, and it was to update before I went to a concert I've been planning to go to. Guess what? I did it! Although, I did cut it close, because the concert is today. Oh well. Here is the new chapter!**

Slowly, I start to wake. My eyelids are slightly red, which stings my eyes just a little. Is it already morning? It only seems like it's been an hour. Groaning, I roll over onto my other side. The red disappears. No, it's not morning. Then, what was the light in front of me? There does seem to be heat coming off of it… oh no. My eyes pop open.

"Eliza?" I gasp, sitting up. My eyes glance around. I find the fire that Eliza made against her brother's wishes. Why didn't she listen? Doesn't she know that this fire could get us in a lot of trouble? And, why is she not responding? Soon, after a minute of searching, The orangey flames help me find the silhouette of Jonah, who is laying on the rock he and Eliza were sitting on earlier. Jonah says something unintelligible and slowly sits up.

"What's wrong, Alison?" he grumbles.

"Is Eliza in here?" I quickly ask. He stops moving.

"Um… um… I can't see." He hurriedly answers.

"Eliza?" I inquire, a little louder. Suddenly, I hear a small rustling. From the light of the fire, I see her outline on the other side of the leaf dome, curled up in a ball.

"Yeah?" she yawns, sitting up and stretching her arms out in front of her.

"Eliza!" Jonah exclaims. "I told you last night that you couldn't make a fire, but you went ahead and did it anyway!"

"It's cold." Eliza softly whispers.

"Honey, to get through these Games, you'll have to deal with being cold. You can't just make a fire and expect that-" I start to say, but stop when I hear a footstep outside of the leaf dome. Just a small footstep, small enough that it wouldn't be noticed easily. My eyes immediately dart to where the sound came from. The person is outside of the leaf that Jonah and Eliza's rock is sitting on. Jonah looks around and sends me a confused look. He starts to open his mouth, but I put my finger to my lips, telling him to not say anything. On the other hand, Eliza has a scared look on her face.

What do we do? I could probably go out and look for the person, but I could get killed so quietly that Jonah and Eliza wouldn't notice. And, if I got killed, who would be here to look over them? But, I could also stay in here until the person outside made a move. That's not really a good idea; we could all get killed then. I decide to go with my first plan. Quietly, I signal for them to come over to where I'm now crouching. They both silently tip-toe over to me, and I point to the large bush that is next to my rock. The bush is big enough for both of them to hide in, since they are so small. Jonah seems to get the message, and he pulls Eliza towards the bush. Once they are both inside, I see a small thumbs-up appear in the leaves of it. I nod. Well, here goes nothing. As quiet as possible, I stand up and pace over to the little hole at the front of the leaf dome. Crouching again, I slip through the opening. The rain is still pounding, so it's hard to see anything within five feet. Once I'm out, I stand up straight and glance to the place where I heard the sound. I don't see anything. But… I could swear I heard a footstep! I know I heard it! There has to be a person somewhere out here!

"Hello beautiful."

* * *

I can't believe it. I just agreed to a deal with Cato. Did I just kill myself?

"So, just so we're clear about the deal, if you join the Careers, we keep District 4 safe?" Cato asks, turning his head a little to the side. Currently, he is leading Jonah, Eliza, and I to what I assume is the Career base. I'm not especially excited about the deal; in fact, I hate it. If it means better protection for Jonah and Eliza, though, I'm up for it.

"Yes, Cato, for the thousandth time, I will join the Careers if you protect Jonah and Eliza." I reply.

"Okay, good." He murmurs. The rest of the trip to the camp is silent. Even Jonah and Eliza aren't whispering to each other like they usually do. They're probably scared. Well, they won't have to be scared anymore, because I'm not going to let anything hurt them. After a couple of minutes, we arrive at the camp, which is in a small clearing not far from the leaf dome. They have set up a small group of teepees that surround a large pile of food, water, and supplies.

"Guys, we've got company!" Cato exclaims, and other tributes start making their way out of the teepees. Teagan comes out of the teepee closest to me, with Jim popping out of the one next to that. On the other side of the pile, I see the District 3 boy slip out of his teepee, and the District 3 girl walks out of the one on the left side of it. The one closest to Cato must be his. Teagan immediately notices me and scowls.

"Did you really have to bring her back here? Along with those two? Now we've got nothing but trouble on our hands!" Teagan whines, walking over to where we are.

"Teagan, I made a deal with them, and as long as we protect District 4, she stays with us." Cato explains.

"You're so stupid!" she yells, stepping closer to him. I step back, pushing Jonah and Eliza with me. "There are so many ways she could escape! She could sneak out in the middle of the night, or she could sneak off while she's in a mission with some of us!"

"She wouldn't leave without those two." He simply states, and she stops. She knows he's right, I can see it in her face. He is right. I wouldn't ever leave these two to fend for themselves.

"He's right, T." Jim says, walking over to where Cato and Teagan are standing. Then, he glances over at me. "Even though we've only seen them for about a minute, she already looks very attached to them." Teagan doesn't say anything, but she just stomps back into her teepee. It looks like we might have a rough time here.

**Hello again! So, was Alison right to make the deal? Or should she have turned him down? As always, review! :) I'm gonna go to the concert in a few hours! Woohoo!**

**RANDOM WORDS OF THE DAY:**

_**"It doesn't make sense to call ourselves ugly, because we don't really see ourselves. We don't watch ourselves in bed, curled up and silent, with chests rising and falling with our own rhythm. We don't see ourselves reading a book, eyes fluttering and glowing. You don't see yourself looking at someone, with care in your heart. There's no mirror in your way when you're laughing and smiling and happiness is leaking out of you. You would know exactly how bright and beautiful you are if you saw yourself in the moments where you are truly beautiful."**_** (I know it's a long quote, but it's very good.)**

**-SopranoGhostWriter :)**


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